김광주의 전시(戰時) 글쓰기의 반공담론과 인간론적 변주 －사상계 발표작 ｢불효지서(不孝之書)｣를 중심으로－ = Anti-communist Discourse and Anthropological Variation in Kim Kwang-ju’s Wartime Writing : Focusing on “A Letter of Filial Impiety” (Bulhyojiseo) Published in Sasanggye

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study aims to examine the aspects and strategic nature of wartime writing by Kim Kwang-ju, a “remnant intellectual” (those who remained in Seoul during the North Korean occupation) during the Korean War. Specifically, it investigates the anthropological variations and ideological orientations reflected in his short story “A Letter of Filial Impiety” (Bulhyojiseo), published in the inaugural issue of Sasanggye in 1953.
Following the liberation of Korea, Kim Kwang-ju faced intense ideological scrutiny due to his history of anarchist activities and independence movements in Shanghai, as well as his record of remaining in Seoul during the early stages of the war. Utilizing his public position as the cultural editor of the Kyunghyang Shinmun, Kim produced a robust body of anti-communist discourse through articles and personal accounts. This functioned as an inevitable survival strategy to prove his ideological innocence and secure his standing within the post-war literary circle.
The study identifies “A Letter of Filial Impiety” as a pinnacle text where Kim’s wartime writing transcends linear systemic propaganda and enters a stage of existential reflection. In this work, the author displaces the political allegation of “collaboration” with the North Korean regime onto an intimate sense of guilt rooted in the lack of “filial piety” (hyo), a traditional Confucian virtue. By centering the narrative on the agony of an eldest son who abandoned his ailing mother during the war, Kim transfers the external gaze of ideological verification into the realm of universal human tragedy. Furthermore, through the depiction of the Anbang (the inner room, a sacred family space) devolving into a site of prostitution, he sharply exposes the inversion of values and the ethical collapse caused by the war.
Moreover, this paper argues that Kim’s translations published in Sasanggye, such as “Intellectuals within the Chinese Communist Sphere” and “Between Human and Beast,” served a dual purpose: they exposed the realities of Communist China while expanding his anti-communism into a universal anthropology, aligning with Sasanggye’s founding principle of “resolving human problems.” Ultimately, Kim Kwang-ju’s wartime writing was a sophisticated narrative strategy that sublimated the political risks of a remnant intellectual into an existential tragedy, allowing him to solidify his identity as a right-wing man of letters. This study holds significance in restoring the early literary achievements of Kim Kwang-ju — who has often been confined to the category of popular literature — and in identifying the complex landscape of intellectual narratives during the Korean War.