KOREAN LITERATURE

GROUP 2
 EARLY KOREAN
LITERATURE

Early Korean literature was heavily influenced by

Shamanism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.

Began as an oral tradition.

Good was rewarded and evil was punished and values
like loyalty to the King, filial piety, respects for one’s
elders, true friendship and chastity were emphasized.

Korean writings were poems called hyangga.

 Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ

Korean Dynasty established in 918 by Emperor

Taejo.

The name “Goryeo” is derived from “Goguryeo”,

one of the ancient Three Kingdoms of Korea, which
changed its name to “Goryeo” during the reign of
King Jangsu of Goguryeo (in the 5th century).

The English name “Korea” derives from “Goryeo”

is derived from “Goryeo”.
Religion; Confucianism and Buddhism.
During Koryo period, hanshi, poems in Chinese
characters, developed to maturity, and toward the
end of the dynasty, a new form of poetry called
shijo gained wide acceptance.

Korean literature of the upper class, mostly written

in classical Chinese was characterized by an
emphasis on philosophic expositions on the Chinese
classics, an art that was essential for government
service, the only respectable avenue to success
outside of teaching.
 Choson Dynasty
Also Chosŏn, Choson, Chosun, Cho-sen, was a
Korean state founded Taejo Yi Seong-gye that
lasted for approximately five centuries.

It was founded in the aftermath of the

overthrow of the Goryeo Dynasty at what is
today city of Kaesong.

The Choson period also saw a great outpouring

of literature written in Han-gul which often
centered on the concept that all men are equal
and attacked social inequality, spurred by the
introduction of Sirhak (Practical Learning) in the
17th century
The shijo, a short three-line poem written in Han-
gul (The Korean Alphabet), remained popular
throughout the Choson Dynasty.

The Joseon period to has left a substantial legacy

to modern Korea; much of modern Korean etiquette,
cultural norms, societal attitudes towards current
issues, and the modern Korean language and its
dialects derive from the culture and traditions of
Joseon.
 What is shamanism?

Shamanism is a practice that involves a practitioner

reaching altered states of consciousness in order to
encounter and interact with the spirit world.

A shaman is a person regarded as having access to,

and influence in the world of benevolent and
malevolent spirits, who tipically enters into a trance
state during a ritual, and practices divination and
healing.
 What is Buddhism?

Buddhism is a religion indigenous to the Indian

subcontinent that encompasses a variety of
traditions, beliefs, and practices largely based on
teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, who
is commonly known as the Buddha (meaning "the
awakened one" in Sanskrit and Pāli).
What is Korean Buddhism?

Korean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms

of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what it sees
as inconsistencies in Mahayana Buddhism.

When Buddhism was introduced to Korea in the 4th

century CE, the Korean peninsula was politically
subdivided into three kingdoms: Goguryeo in the
north, Baekje in the southwest, and Silla in the
southeast. There is concrete evidence of an earlier
introduction of Buddhism than traditionally
believed.
Goguryeo

In 372, the monk Sundo ( 道順 , or Shundao in

Chinese) was sent by Fu Jiān ( 苻堅 ) of Former Qin
to the court of the King Sosurim of Goguryeo. He
brought texts and statues with him and the
Goguryeo royalty and their subjects quickly
accepted his teachings. Buddhism in China was in a
rudimentary form, consisting of the law of cause
and effect and the search for happiness.
Baekje
In 384, the Indian monk Marananta arrived in Baekje
and the royal family received the similar strain of
Buddhism he brought. King Asin proclaimed, "people
should believe in Buddhism and seek happiness." In
526, the Baekje monk Gyeomik went directly to
Central India and came back with a collection of
Vinaya texts, accompanied by the Indian monk
Paedalta. After returning to Baekje he translated the
Buddhist scriptures in Sanskrit into seventy-two
volumes. The Vinaya School in Baekje was
established by Gyeomik, about a century earlier than
that of in China. As a result of the work, he is
regarded as the father of Vinaya studies in Korea.
Silla
Buddhism did not enter the kingdom of Silla until
the 5th century. The common people were first
attracted to Buddhism here, but there was
resistance among the aristocrats. In 527, however,a
prominent court official named I chadon presented
himself to King Pophung and announced he had
become Buddhist. The king had him beheaded, but
when the executioner cut off his head, it is said that
milk poured out instead of blood. Paintings of this
are in the temple at Haein-sa and a stone
monument honoring his martyrdom is in the National
Museum of Kyongju.
During the reign of the next king, King Chinhung, the
growth of Buddhism was encouraged—eventually being
recognized as the national religion of Silla.
The monk Jajang ( 慈藏 ) is credited with having been
a major force in the adoption of Buddhism as a
national religion. Jajang is also known for his
participation in the founding of the Korean sangha, a
type of monastic community.
Another great scholar to emerge from the Silla Period
was Won-hyo.
Buddhism was so successful during this period that
many kings converted and cities/places were even
renamed after famous places during the time of
Buddha.
 What is Confucianism?

Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical

system developed from the teachings of the Chinese
philosopher Confucius ( 孔夫子 K ng Fūz , or Kung-fu-tzu,
lit. "Masterǒ ǐKong", 551–479 BC). Confucianism
originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during
the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed
metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han
Dynasty. [1] Following the abandonment of Legalism in
China after the Qin Dynasty, Confucianism became the
official state ideology of China, until it was replaced by
the "Three Principles of the People" ideology with the
establishment of the Republic of China, and then Maoist
Communism after the ROC was replaced by the Peoples
Republic of China in Mainland China.
What is Korean Confucianism?

Korean Confucianism is the form of Confucianism

developed in Korea. One of the most substantial
influence sin Korean intellectual history was the
introduction of Confucian thought as part of the
cultural influence from China. Today the legacy of
Confucianism remains a fundamental part of Korean
society, shaping the moral system, the way of life,
social relations between old and young, high culture,
and is the basis for much of the legal system.
Confucianism in Korea is sometimes considered a
pragmatic way of holding a nation together without
the civil wars and internal dissent that was inherited
from the Goryeo dynasty, and before.
 Traditional:
Korean literature shows a significant difference
before and after Western influences. In the pre-
Western period, literature was influenced by
Shamanism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Under these
influences, individuals accepted the status quo and
had a fatalistic view of life. Early literature depicted
a love of nature and man and held that nature and
man are one. Another special aspect of the early
period of Korean literature was that it beganas an
oral tradition. Therefore, many literary works, also
tales and legends sung or spoken by the ancestors of
various Korean tribes, were presented at tribal rites,
religious festivals, sacrifices and political gatherings.
Influenced by social norms, morals and
customs, in Korean literature good is rewarded
and evil is punished. Early literature stresses
behaviour patterns like loyalty to the king,
filial piety, respect for seniors, true friendship
and chastity of women.
Modern:

After western influences, modern Koreanliterature has

shown dissent both politicaland moral, and has
deviated fromtraditionally restricted subject matters
toencompass varied themes. The first Koreanwriting
was produced in the Shilla Kingdomin the 8th century.
The Character of Korean Literature

Korean literature is usually divided chronologically

into a classical and a modern period. But the basis for
such a division is still being questioned. Great reforms
swept Korea after themid-19th century as its society
actively absorbed Western things.

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.
Modern literature of Korea, developed out of its
contact with Western culture, following the course
of modernization.

"New Education" and the "National Language” and

“Literature Movement“ developed.

Han-gul - Korean script

Korean literature extends over a broad territory:
literature recorded in Chinese; and literature
written in Han-gul.

Shinsosol- "new novel“

Ch’anggok- Music and classical poetry, formerly
fused together in a kind of a song
Linguistic expression and manner of transmission
are issues of utmost importance in the overall
understanding of Korean literature.

Korean literature in Chinese was created when

Chinese characters were brought to Korea.

In the Koryo and Choson cultures, Chinese

letters were central to Koreans daily lives.

The use of the Korean script began during the

Choson period with the creation of the Korean
alphabet (Hunmin Chong-um).
The creation of the Korean alphabet in the
15thcentury was a crucial turning point in Korea’s
literary history.

Korean script made possible the broadening of the

literary field to include women and commoners.

The Korean script (Han-gul) assumed its place of

leading importance in Korean literature only during
the latter half of the 19th century.

As soon as the linguistic duality of "Chinese" and

"Native" within Korean life was overcome, literature
in the Korean script became the foundation upon
which the national literature developed
 Korea’s Classical Literature

Hyangga from the Shilla period

The Hyangga poetry of the Shilla period signaled

the beginning of a unique poetic form in Korean
literature.
The Hyangga were recorded in the
hyangch’alscript, in which the Korean language was
written using "sound" (um) and "meaning" (hun) of
Chinese characters.
Fourteen poems in the Hyangga style from the
Shilla period have been preserved in the
Samgukyusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms).
This poetic form was passed down to the Koryo
Dynasty, and 11 poems from that period are
preserved in the Kyunyojon (Tales of Kyunyo).

4-line, 8-line, and 10-line poems.

It is difficult to make general determinations
about the personalities of the Hyangga poets.
But it is thought that the 4-line poems with
their ballad-like attributes may indicate that
the poets came from a broad range of
backgrounds.
The Koryo Kayo (Koryo Songs)

The literature of the Koryo period is marked

byan increased use of Chinese letters, the
disappearance of Hyangga, and the emergence of
Koryo kayo (Koryo songs) which continued to be
transmitted as oral literature until the Choson
period.

The new poetic form introduced by writers of

the Koryo period was the Koryo kayo called
pyolgok.

The identities of most of the Koryo kayo authors

are unknown.
The songs were orally transmitted; only later in
the Choson period were they recorded using the
Korean script (Han-gul).

The Koryo Kayo are characterized by increased

length and a free and undisciplined form.

The bold, direct nature of the songs make them

distinctive.

They deal with the real world of humankind. But

because the songs were transmitted orally over a
long period and recorded only after the beginning
of the Choson period, there is a strong possibility
that they have been partially altered.
 Shijo and Kasa

The creation of the Korean alphabet in the early

Choson period was one of the turning points in
the history of Korean literature.

In the process of creating the Korean

alphabet(Han-gul) and investigating its
practicality, akchang (musical scores) were
written in the Korean script, such as
Yongbioch’bon-ga (Song of Flying Dragons Through
the Heavens) which celebrates the foundation of
the Choson Dynasty(1392-1910), and which is
complete with musical notation and
instrumentation.
The shijo ("current tune") is representative of
Choson poetry. Its poetic form was establish period
in the late Koryo period, but it flourished to a
greater extent under the Choson periods new
leading ideology, Song Neo-Confucianism. The fact
that a majority of the shijopoets were well versed
in Confucianism, and that these poems of the late
Koryo and early Choson periods for the most part
dealt with the theme of loyalty, helps us to
understand the historical function of the shijo.
 Prose
Korean prose literature can be divided into narratives,
fiction, and literary miscellany.
 Narratives include myths, legends, and folktales found
in the written records.
The most important myths are those concerning the
Sun and the Moon, the founding of Korea by Tangun,
and the lives of the ancient kings.
The legends touch on place and personal names and
natural phenomena.
The folktales include stories about animals; ogres,
goblins, and other supernatural beings; kindness
rewarded and evil punished; and cleverness and
stupidity.
 Fiction

Korean fiction can be classified in various ways.

1. There is fiction written in Chinese and that

written in Korean.
2. There are the short works of one volume,
"medium" works of about 10 volumes, and long
works of more than 10 volumes.
3. There are works of yangban writers and those
of common writers.
• From the 17th century onwards, fiction became
increasingly popular and more readily available through
book rental schemes.

Geumo Sinhwa (New stories from Mount Geumo) by Kim

Si-seup)
- The first known classical work of Korean fiction
-It was written in Chinese characters.
• In the mid-Joseon period, parable-like stories were
published.

• By the end of the Joseon period, many writers had

started to deviate from the orthodox conventions of
classical Chinese literature, and literature about
common people such as merchants, thieves, or gisaeng
were commonplace.
 Oral literature

Oral literature includes all texts that were orally

transmitted from generation to generation until
the invention of Hangul (hangul)--ballads, legends,
mask plays, puppet-show texts, and pansori ("story
singing") texts..

Orally transmitted texts are categorized as

ballads and are classified according to singer(male
or female), subject matter (prayer, labour,
leisure), and regional singing style (capital area,
western, and southern).
The songs of many living performers, some of
whom have been designated as "intangible national
treasures" by the South Korean government, are still
being recorded.
Legends include all those folk stories handed down
orally and not recorded in any of the written
records.
The final type of folk literature is found in the
texts of pansori of the Yi dynasty.
The texts evolved gradually from the legends,
which provided their sources and were altered and
expanded as they were passed from one performer
to another.
 The early Joseon period

Yongbi eocheonga (hangul: 용비어천가 ,

hanja:龍飛御天歌) literally means "Songs of
theDragons Flying to Heaven".

It was compiled during the reign of Sejong the

Great as an official recognition of the Joseon
dynasty and its ancestral heritage as the
forerunners of Joseon, the Golden Age of Korea.

This compilation was the first piece of Korean

text to depart from a long history reliant on
Chinese characters and be recorded in Hangul, the
first and official alphabet of Korea.
Themes in addition to the establishment of the
Joseon Dynasty:

linear events that took place in China

the apotheosis of virtuous Kings proceeding thefall
of the Goryeo Dynasty
Confucian political and philosophical ideologies of
the era in rejection to Buddhism

Each of the poems included in the work convey

deep-seated feelings of nationalism and a proud
proclamation of cultural independence from the
Mongol empire.
 The late Joseon period

 Modern Korean literature developed against the

background of the Joseon Dynasty’s fall.
This first period of modern Korean literature is
often called "enlightenment".
This period was to a large extent influenced by the
1894 Gabo Reforms which introduced Western-
style schools and newspapers emerged.
Many biographical works were published in the late
Joseon period where the main character was often
depicted as a hero.
Jayusi - formation of modern free verse poetry.
 Modern literature

Modern Korean literature gradually developed

under the influence of Western cultural contacts
based on trade and economic development.
The first printed work of fiction in Korean was
John Bunyans Pilgrims Progress (in Korean:
천로역정 Cheonno-yeokjeong), translated by
James Scarth Gale (1893).
Christian religion found its way into Korea,
culminating in the first complete edition of the
Bible in Korean published in 1910.
Mostly Western aesthetic schools that influenced
Korean literature.
Music and classical poetry, formerly considered
one as part of changgok, were increasingly
perceived as old-fashioned and out of date.
Modern literature is often linked with the
development of hangul, which helped increase
working class literacy rates.
Hangul reached its peak of popularity in the
second half of the 19th century, resulting in a
major renaissance. Sinsoseol, for instance, are
novels written in hangul.
 Colonial Period

During Colonial Korea (1910–1945), free speech and

the press were restricted, thus influencing the
literature of the time.
Many expressions of the late Joseon period, with
their focus on self-reliance and independence, were
no longer possible.
With the Samil Movement in 1919 came a new form
of Korean literature.
Many writers exhibited a more positive attitude,
trying to cope with the national situation at the
time.
Literature focused on self-discovery, and increasingly
on concrete reality.
Many novels of the time experimented with new
literary styles and techniques.
In 1919 Kim Tong-in and Kim Hyok founded a literary
magazine, Changjo ( 창조 Creation) marking the
starting point of contemporary Korean literature.
The literary magazines which appeared during the
1920sand 1930s laid the basis for the future
development of modern Korean literature.
Almost all of these magazines were ordered to
discontinue publication in the 1940s as the Japanese
tightened their grip with the spread of their aggressive
war to the Pacific and all of Southeast Asia.
Many novels of the 1920s centered around themes of
the suffering of intellectuals.
The lives of farmers were often depicted as pathetic.
As the Japanese government strengthened ideological
coercion during the 1930s, Korean literature was
directly affected.
Thank You!
God Bless
 Te, Allysha Mae
Macabanti, Camille
Calma, Shalex
Nuqui, Dianalyne
Sumagang, Jobilee
Oliveros, Alyssa Ashley
Miranda, Steven Kuerdy
Pineda, Adrian Vincent
Pinon, Christopher
Acosta, Arrell
Mangune, John Michael
Balinan, Jasper
Jaro, Jerwin
Simbulan, James Anthony
Quito, Daniel
Barrientos, Kurt Dehnzle