김규동 시의 분단의식과 통일지향

Abstract

This paper examines the works of poet Kim Gyu-dong during the 1980s, a period when he prominently demonstrated his realist tendencies. The 1980s is notable for Kim Gyu-dong, who actively participated in anti-dictatorship movements and democratization struggles since the 1970s, as it was a time when he was most active both socially and as a poet. During this period, he published three poetry collections, including two anthologies. From the perspective that typically divides Kim Gyu-dong’s poetic world into modernism and realism, it might seem surprising that works published before the 1980s collections are included. In this light, Kim Gyu-dong in the 1980s did not merely aim to show a poetic shift separated from the past but maintained a continuity seeking poetic development. For him, who had been attentive to historical realities since the early days of his poetry, the change and contemplation of his role in the era were already inherent. Kim Gyu-dong’s works, which view the reality of the divided homeland, strive to elucidate the fundamental causes operating on a global historical level. He recognized that the division of the Korean Peninsula was a product of the Cold War era, which began as the international order was newly reshaped after World War II. Thus, he realized that the issue of reunification could not be resolved solely by the parties of the South and North. By focusing on the phenomenon where capitalist values were increasingly becoming central in our society, he sounded an alarm about the decreasing value of labor and the society’s obsession with consumer culture. He also exposed the inhuman aspects of capitalism lurking behind South Korea’s economic development symbolized by “Seoul” and warned against the pathological phenomena of capitalism hindering reunification. Furthermore, Kim Gyu-dong viewed with regret the diminishing national sentiment for reunification and expressed his personal and familial tragedy as a displaced person through the longing for “mother.” However, this was not merely an expression of personal emotion but an attempt to move towards a world of absolute motherhood that comforts and consoles those who sacrificed in numerous historical events on this land. This poetic characteristic ultimately underscores that overcoming division is possible through practical actions occurring on an individual’s everyday level. The emphasis on awakening what can be termed as the victim’s sensibility is also noteworthy. In the prolonged situation of confrontation between the South and North, where both sides claim victimhood, Kim Gyu-dong reminds us that our entire nation is indeed victims. As he emphatically shows, embracing and caring for each other as victims can certainly bring us closer to reunification. The sensibility as victims that his works evoke allows reflection on the predicament of our nation in the divided reality. As Kim Gyu-dong’s poetic prophecy suggests, reunification could become possible when we acknowledge that the other party is also another victim.