This article is useful because it dives in depth of the origin and growth of Korean literature. It explains how different historical events affected the themes of literature coming out of South Korea during given time periods. The article also mentions what traditional genres mean to Korean culture.
This article is important to understand the roots of Korean literature and how cultural attitudes shaped artistic expression. It especially discusses the use and attitudes toward the Korean alphabet, Hangul, and how early literature was modeled on Chinese texts. It dives in depth into the timeline of Korean literature.
This scholarly text breaks down Korean literature into major phases and cultural influences. This includes: oral traditions, Confucianism, Buddhism, and the translation to modern literature influenced by western culture. It helps contextualize various literary influences over time.
Lac, Astrid. “From National History to Subject in Writing: Reading the Colonial Korean Poet Yoon Dong-ju with the Zainichi Korean Writer Yi Yang-ji.” Postcolonial, Vol 15, No 2, Yonsei University, 2020, South Korea. https://www.postcolonial.org/index.php/pct/article/viewFile/2472/2415. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026
This paper analyzes the poetry of Yin Dong-ju, the poet of one of my poems of choice, in the historical context of Japanese colonial occupation. It explains how his work reflects colonial violence and cultural resistance. I selected it because it connects literary themes directly to colonial history.
I chose this article to help myself understand Korean tradition because a lot of literature is rooted in a country’s or author’s religious/philosophical views. This article discusses an extensive list of religions historically seen in Korean culture. I believe this is a great source to understand the background of Korean society and culture, to fully understand the literature.