재일작가 장두식의 자전적 장편과 탈 디아스포라문학으로서의 가능성에 대한 고찰

Abstract

Jang Doo-sik's medium-length novel not only describes the difficult life of Korean diaspora's but also tries to confirm the efforts in finding their national identity with the belief of coming back home. Moreover, it contains his resolution to contribute in the Organization of Korean Immigration for penitence in that he had helped Japan's warfare as a local journalist at the end of the war. After a near 10-year break, two other autobiographical works, "The Documentary of a Korean Immigrant" and "Korean Residents in Japan", were released in the 1960s, where he seeks the literary way to understand the position of a Korean in Japanese territory while inducing Japanese readers to be aware of the Japan Empire's errors. These two autobiographical works followed the characteristics of nationalism in his earlier works, but also sincerely sought to form a mutual relation with the Japanese, withdrawing from diasporic ideals. He criticized the Japanese and its empire while seeking cooperation with the Korean society by bringing up their humanity. This literary posture was based on the realistic demands that Koreans had to cooperate with the Japanese in order to set up a new living foundation. However, this kind of approach was exposed to criticism in terms of lacking national identity or as ingratiation to Japan. Nevertheless, Jang Du-sik's literary method was more effective and future oriented than to actively protest against Japan, for it became a basis of communication that a Korean diaspora was never thought to achieve.