A study on Choi Jae-seo’s pro-Japanese literature ‘Cultural Expert Trilogy’ : Focusing on the aesthetic text analysis of the short stories

The objective of this paper is to elucidate the characteristics and significance of Choi Jae-seo's “Cultural Expert Trilogy,” published during the late Japanese colonial period. To achieve this, a strict aesthetic analysis of the texts will be employed. The necessity and significance of this study can be delineated in three primary aspects: first, it seeks to enhance our understanding of the entirety of Choi Jae-seo’s literary activities; second, it aims to supplement and transcend previous researches; and third, it intends to clarify the meaning of the aesthetic characteristics embodied in these short stories within the pro-Japanese literary field. Choi Jae-seo’s “Cultural Expert Trilogy” illuminates thematic effects that respond dynamically to the policies of the Japanese colonial regime. Consequently, it has earned recognition as a leading work of national literature. These short stories rise above the crude levels of propaganda literature by vividly representing the aforementioned thematic effects as ideals that must be comprehended and realized. Clarifying this aspect will facilitate a more nuanced understanding of the pro-Japanese literary landscape. However, the characteristics of the “Cultural Expert Trilogy” are intricately linked to inherent limitations. The thematic effects intended for exploration and realization are framed as truths to be accepted and enacted as beliefs, thereby diminishing the potential for inquiry - a representative hallmark of modern literature. This literary manifestation of pro-Japanese convictions as a culmination of national literature is embodied in the “Cultural Expert Trilogy”. Thus, its significance lies in its role as both a ideal orientation and a zenith of pro-Japanese literature in the late Japanese colonial era.