북한 ‘단편력사소설’에 나타난 ‘민중성’ 탐구 ― ‘임진전쟁’을 형상화한 소설을 중심으로 ―

초록

This study focuses on three short historical novels from North Korea: Lee Seong-sik’s The Precepts of a Buddhist Monk(1999), Hong Yeong-ae’s Uiam-i(2017), and Ryu Chun-hwa’s The Red Jar(2017). All three novels are set against the backdrop of the early stages of the Imjin War. The Precepts of a Buddhist Monk depicts the monk Yujeong. As a monk, Yujeong must not violate the Buddhist prohibition against killing. However, upon witnessing the Japanese army massacring locals, In Uiam-i, the Jinju courtesan Nongae witnesses the “Jinju Massacre” of 60,000 Joseon soldiers and civilians. She mourns them by exacting revenge on a Japanese commander. The Red Jar depicts the arduous lives of commoners forced into refugee existence during the Imjin War. This novel’s protagonists are commoners such as Boyang. Boyang believes that pottery such as The Red Jar brings good fortune. Her belief could be criticized as superstitious. However, faced with overwhelming violence such as occurs during war, the common people sought solace through religious faith. The utopian aspirations of the common people can be recognized in The Red Jar. This study focuses on how the common people express their identities within the violent context of the Imjin War. Within the “shared history” of North and South Korea, the “tradition of the oppressed” could be identified. These three works clearly portray the common people as victims and human sacrifices of war. Furthermore, the works express indirect criticisms of wartime violence through themes of sacrifice, mourning, and religion.

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