Singing Between Empire and Colony: Yi Nanyŏng's Survival Tactics in Colonial Korea

This thesis examines the legacy of Yi Nanyŏng (1916–1965), a prominent Korean singer during the Japanese colonial period, focusing on her musical strategies amidst the sociopolitical constraints of subjugation. Yi’s 1935 song, "Tears of Mokp’o," became a symbol of Korean identity and resistance, embodying the affect of han— a shared Korean sense of grief and longing under national struggles. However, her participation in Japanese cultural industries, including pro-Japanese propaganda, and the 1936 re-release of "Tears of Mokp’o" in Japan as "Farewell Boat Song" under her stage name Oka Ranko, complicates binary narratives of resistance and collaboration. This thesis not only analyzes Yi’s musical works but also examines how her music was received by audiences in colonial Korea as well as in Imperial Japan. It contextualizes her career within the sociopolitical conditions of Japanese colonial rule, examining how her music both reflected and shaped contemporary notions of identity, resistance, and survival. By comparing the Korean and Japanese versions of "Tears of Mokp’o," the study highlights Yi’s dual identity as both a Korean cultural icon and a performer navigating Japan’s imperial entertainment industry. The Korean version, with its crying-like vocal technique, resonated deeply with the struggles of colonized Koreans, while the Japanese version exoticized and feminized Koreans, portraying them as passive subjects within Japan’s colonial agenda. These differing receptions reveal not only the strategic adaptation in Yi’s performances but also the cultural ambivalence within Japan, which sought to assimilate Korea while expressing nostalgia for pre-modern Korean traditions. The thesis argues that Yi’s music serves as an archive of cultural resilience and transcultural negotiation, reflecting both the oppressive power dynamics and the complex ways in which identity was constructed and performed under colonial rule. By situating her career within the broader sociopolitical context, this study uncovers how her music reveals the tensions of colonial modernity, the survival tactics of colonized artists, and the interplay of cultural memory and imperialism. Ultimately, this research invites a rethinking of Yi’s legacy, offering a nuanced understanding of Korean popular music as a site of historical, cultural, and political negotiation.