The Character of Korean Literature

Korean literature is usually divided chronologically into classical and modern periods with the great reforms late in the 19th century serving as the watershed although the basis for such a division is still being questioned.

Korea's classical literature developed against the backdrop of traditional folk beliefs of the Korean people; it was also influenced by Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. Among these, Buddhist influence held the greatest sway, followed by enormous influences from Confucianism.

Modern literature of Korea, on the other hand, developed out of its contact with Western culture, following the course of modernization. Not only Christian thought, but also various artistic trends and influences were imported from the West. As the "New Education" and the "National Language and Literature Movement" developed, the Chinese writing system, which had traditionally represented the culture of the dominant class, lost the sociocultural function it had previously enjoyed. At the same time, the Korean script, Han-geul was being used more and more frequently, resulting in the growth and development of Korean language and literature studies. The "New Novels" (sinsoseol) movement produced a surge of stories written in the Korean script. Music and classical poetry, formerly fused together in what was called changgok, were now viewed as separate endeavors. New paths opened up for the new literature. While Korea was importing Western culture via Japan or China, it was also carrying out literary reforms from within.

Linguistic expression and manner of transmission are issues of utmost importance in the overall understanding of Korean literature. Korean literature extends over a broad territory: literature recorded in Chinese; and literature written in Han-geul. These two aspects of Korean literature greatly differ from each other in terms of their literary forms and character.

Korean literature in Chinese was created when Chinese characters were brought to Korea early in the Three Kingdoms period. In the Goryeo and Joseon cultures, Chinese letters were central to Koreans' daily lives. We also cannot overlook the fact that the literary activity of the dominant class was conducted in Chinese. While Chinese-centered ideas and values are contained in this literature - feature shared by most of East Asia during this period - it also contained experiences and thought patterns that express the unique way of life of the Korean people.

The use of the Korean script began during the Joseon period with the invention of the Korean alphabet (Hunminjeong-eum) in the 15th century. Compared with the literature written in Chinese which was dominated by the upper classes, Korean script made possible the broadening of the literary field to include women and commoners. This expanded the social base of Korean writers and readers alike. But the Korean script (Han-geul) assumed its place of importance in Korean literature not until the latter half of the 19th century. After the "enlightenment" period, the use of Chinese letters swiftly declined as the popularity of Korean letters greatly increased. Ironically, the literary dominance of the native Korean language was established during the Japanese colonial period when the foreign rulers tried to suppress the use of Korean language and Han-geul.