만들어진 ‘악’과 분단서사의 굴절 - 이호철의 『역려(逆旅)』론

초록

It was January 14 1974 when Yi Ho-cheol, while writing the novel 『Yeoknye』 (lit. Troubled Travel) which was serialized in Hangukmunhak Journal, was detained as a result of the so-called Literati Spy Ring Incident. In connection with the incident known as the Hanyang Penning Woe Incident in Korean literary history, he served 10 months in prison. On being released, Yi Ho-cheol resumed serializing his novel from the February 1975 issue, and eventually completed his novel. 『Yeoknye』is a problem work that describes Korea-Japan relations in the 1970s. The Izumi family, who stayed in Korea during the Japanese colonial rule, returned home to Japan after its defeat in World War II. The family head, Izumi Tatsuo, missed his second wife Jo, his son Park Seong-gap (Keiske), and his daughter Park Gyeongja (Geiko) very much. Tatsuo, who missed the Imperial Era, sent his son Geijoo to Korea to search for his family. The novel describes Geijoo visit to Korea and the turmoil caused for his family. 『Yeoknye』used the synecdoche narration technique alongside a familial story to describe Korea-Japan relations. It criticizes the Japanese exploitation of Joseon during the Japanese colonial rule of Korea. It also presents the new point of view that young people had regarding the post-1965 Korea-Japan Agreement situation. The author proposes a reestablishment of Korea-Japan relations, from an individual instead of a national viewpoint, through the character Park Gyeong-ja. 『Yeoknye』rapidly changed from a family epic to a spy epic. At the center of that turning point was the ‘Hanyang Penning Woe Incident. After being freed from prison, Yi Ho-cheol resumed serializing 『Yeoknye』and introduced the complicated South-North situation that had permeated into Korea-Japan relations. The Spy Epic , a symbol of evil, spread an atmosphere of terror, threat, and rebellion. The author did not use words such as “spy” and “North Korean spies” in his work in response to the spy manipulation incident engineered by the government’s violence through literary methods. This was meant as literary resistance against the violence of the power manipulating evil (spy). The Spy Epic in『Yeoknye』 is criticized for conclusively meeting the internal regime’s requirements. However, Yi Ho-cheol eschewed South-North ideological confrontations, and resisted the national violence literary , albeit passively. In addition to newly reestablishing Korea-Japan relations, he positively reminded people of the historical experience of Japanese colonial rule in Korea. From a statics and dynamics point of view, this work is worth grabbing our attention in terms of literary history in relation to the symbolization of evil.

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