South Korea, officially known as the Republic of Korea, occupies the southern half of the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. Its capital, Seoul, is a global city known for technological innovation, dense urban life, and vibrant popular culture. Following the devastation of the Korean War (1950–1953), South Korea underwent rapid industrialization, transforming within a few decades into one of the world’s leading economies. Beneath this modernization, however, lie deep historical experiences of colonization, war, division, and political struggle that continue to shape Korean identity and artistic expression.

Korean literary tradition dates back over a thousand years and was profoundly influenced by Confucianism and Buddhism. Early literature was written in classical Chinese because of Chinese cultural influence and education systems. This changed with the invention of Hangul, a Korean writing system, and Korean scholars began writing poetry. Japanese colonial rule (1910–1945) reshaped literature into a vehicle of resistance and cultural preservation. Writers expressed longing for homeland, suppressed identity, and quiet defiance. Poems such as “Azaleas” by Kim So-wol reflect restrained sorrow and endurance, themes central to colonial-era literature. Yun Dong-ju’s “Prologue” captures moral introspection and spiritual resistance during occupation. Jeong Ji-yong’s “Nostalgia” similarly expresses longing and displacement. After the Korean War, poets like Ku Sang in “The Wounded Land” and Park Mok-wol in “Mother” portrayed a nation physically and emotionally scarred by conflict. The land itself often became symbolic of suffering and resilience.

During the authoritarian decades of the 1960s–1980s, literature took on a sharper political tone. Kim Chi-ha’s “With a Burning Thirst” represents protest poetry demanding democracy and justice. Shin Kyung-rim’s “Farmers’ Dance” highlights rural communities marginalized by rapid industrial growth. Moon Tae-jun in “A Flower Blooms” and Suji Kwock Kim in “Rice Field Road at Dusk,” explore memory, spirituality, and diaspora within a modern context. Within this broader tradition, Mina by Kim Sagua represents contemporary Korean fiction’s focus on psychological fragmentation and urban alienation. Unlike earlier literature centered on national survival or rural identity, Mina reflects the pressures of hyper-competitive, modern Seoul. The novel situates itself in a literary lineage concerned with suffering and identity, yet shifts the focus inward toward mental instability, generational disconnection, and the costs of modernization. Together, these works illustrate how South Korean literature evolves alongside history. From colonial sorrow and wartime trauma to protest and postmodern alienation, Korean writing consistently interrogates identity, land, memory, and survival in the face of immense change.