This paper deals with the relationship and meaning between Korean literature and Korean literary Classics in Chinese in the Late Yi Dynasty, in order to discuss the communication and fusion phenomena of these literary genres.
After King Se-jong invented Hangeul(Koran Character) in 15 Century, the history of Korean literature began the coexistence period of Korean literary Classics in Chinese and Korean literature. In that period, there were frequent communication and fusion phenomena between Korean literature and Korean literary Classics in Chinese and we can check that kind of interaction through the translated works at that period.
In transition from Korean literary Classics in Chinese to Korean literature, the role of woman and common peoples was very important. Because they can not read and write Korean literary Classics in Chinese, so they need the translation from Korean literary Classics in Chinese to Korean literature. In the other way, Yan-Ban writers can not help using Hangeul to compose a Korean poem, because Chinese poem’s grammar is different from that of Korean grammar.
There are many translation Korean novels and Korean novels written in Chinesein the Late Yi Dynasty. The presentative novel is Sasinamjunggi. This novel translated repeatedly from Korean to Chinese and from Chinese to Korean. Between Korean novels and Korean novels in Chinese, there are strong literary influence in narrative skill, literary style, establishing situation and so on as called ‘co-text’.
In the Late Yi Dynasty, we became to have more expanded literati (who are interested in and created the literature) class and to have more active exchange between Korean literature and Korean literary Classics in Chinese, so we could have more diverse, rich, and blended literary world. But from the late 19th century, the importance of Korean literature has gradually raised and at 20th century, we finally observed the end of the dual structure in which Korean literature and Korean literary Classics in Chinese were coexisted. New literature era in which Korean Hangeul was mainly used arrived.
We entered the Chinese civilization as Chinese character was introduced to us. However, as we can see in The story of Chunhang, Korean literature had built their own literary world, in spite of dominancy of Korean literary Classics in Chinese. But Korean literature was not only given the influence of Korean literary Classics in Chinese but it also changed the character of Korean literary Classics in Chinese and contributed to a part of the formation of Korean literary Classics in Chinese. Like this, these two Korean literatures have exchanged the influence for a long time and it does not mean one side of literature give solely influence to the other side. So I want to say two parts of Korean literature have the character of integrated civilization.