A Lexical Approach of Japanese Originated Vocabulary in Park, Kyung-ri's Toji and Choi, Myeong-hee's Honbul

Vocabulary encompasses everything in a literary work. Examining the usage patterns of the fundamental vocabulary that constitutes a work provides a concrete and empirical basis for evaluating the claims of various research perspectives. Therefore, vocabulary analysis in a text is a crucial research method for exploring the context of a literary work. In other words, analyzing the lexical patterns in literary works provides insights into the themes, era, and authors' writing styles. This paper aims to examine the use of Japanese vocabulary in Honbul and Toji , both set during the Japanese colonial period in Korea. Toji actively incorporates Japanese vocabulary written in Hangul, reflecting the specific realities of Japanese imperialism and emphasizing themes like the tragedy of colonialism, anti-Japanese sentiment, and nationalist ideology. In contrast, Honbul uses Japanese vocabulary sparingly, portraying the colonial period as a dark age symbol rather than emphasizing it through language. Choi's work limits Japanese expressions to commonly known terms, thereby making them accessible to readers. This comparative lexical analysis not only provides an empirical basis for interpreting these works but also sheds light on the use of the Japanese language in contemporary Korean literature.