Perceptions of Parasitism in Japanese Colonial Literature : Focusing on Lee Seo-koo’s novel, “People in Tears.”

This study aims to examine the public’s perception of Kisaeng at the time, focusing on the novel “People in Tears” by playwright and novelist Ko Beom (1899-1981). Lee serialized “People in Tears” in the Daily Shinbo for a total of 79 issues from November 24, 1927 to February 17, 1928. The illustrator was Lee Seung man (1903-1975), a native of Towolhoe and a student of Ahn Seok-joo, Koo Bon-woong, and others at the Goryeo Painting Society. “Tearful People is divided into two narratives, the first of which is about the protagonist Kim Yong-gyu, who returns from studying theology in the United States and realizes that his sister Kim Hwa-sook is living as a parasite and helps her to escape from her life of Kisaeng. The second is about Kim Yong-gyu’s search for his family, who moved to Gando when he was studying abroad. While Kim Yong-gyu is in the U.S., his family goes through several hardships, and in the process, they all leave for Gando except for Kim Hwa sook. This study focuses on the first of the two narratives to examine the perception of ‘Kisaeng’ at the time. Literature, especially fiction, is an indirect representation of the past that cannot be known in the present. “The Tearful People is a work that gives us a glimpse into the perception of Kisaeng in Joseon during the Japanese occupation. The purpose of this study is to examine the social situation of Kisaeng at the time through this work.