Propelled by the force of memory: New directions in Korean literature in the 1990s

This paper deals with the sudden change in the mood, themes and style of Ko rean literature in the 1990s, which was brought on by the inauguration of t he first civilian government in three decades and the lifting of the oppres sive shadow of military dictatorship. Under military dictatorship, serious Korean writers all felt obligated to be the conscience of the nation, so th e emphasis of their works tended to be on social and political injustice an d the lives of the exploited workers or helpless and powerless citizens. Th eir tone, therefore, was that of harsh protest. However, with the demise of military dictatorship, Korean writers felt free to focus on personal relat ionships and the inner psyche. Shin Kyoung-suuk and Choi Yoon are just two among the many new talents who emerged in the Korean literary scene since t he end of the 1980s. They awakened the deep-seated repression of the Korean psyche and fueled the exuberance of psychic liberation.