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The Canonization of “Camellias” and “Spring, Spring” - Literary Historiography and Publishing History from the 1930s to the 1950s -

  • Korean Language & Literature
  • 2026, (133), pp.203~235
  • Publisher : Korean Language & Literature
  • Research Area : Humanities > Korean Language and Literature
  • Received : June 10, 2026
  • Accepted : July 20, 2026
  • Published : July 31, 2026

Kim, You-dong 1

1고려대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study aims to investigate the origins of the canonization of “Camellias” [Dongbaekkkot] and “Spring, Spring”[Bombom], two rural narratives of the 1930s widely regarded for their regional lyricism, as the representative works of Kim Yu-jeong. Today, the view that “Spring, Spring” and “Camellias” are Kim Yu-jeong’s representative works is almost taken for granted. These two stories have long been familiar to readers not only through school textbooks but also through the titles of collected editions published by various presses. During Kim’s lifetime, however, such a perception was far from universal. While “Sudden Shower” [Sonakbi], Kim’s debut work selected in the Chosun Ilbo New Year Literary Contest, enjoyed particular prominence, a number of other works likewise competed for the status of his representative work, leaving the issue unsettled. What factors produced the gap between contemporary and present-day perceptions, and through what process did it emerge? To answer these questions, this article examines the evolution of literary-historical perceptions of Kim Yu-jeong from the 1930s through the 1950s, together with the publication history of selected and collected editions of his works. The findings indicate that two periods were particularly significant in the canonization of “Camellias” and “Spring, Spring”: (1) the approximately two years following Kim Yu-jeong’s death in March 1937, and (2) the years between 1955 and 1960. During the first period, Lee Tae-jun identified “Spring, Spring” as Kim’s representative work, while Modern Joseon Literature Collection, Vol. 2, which included “Spring, Spring” as the representative text, and Camellias, a selected collection of Kim’s works, were published. These developments laid the groundwork for and accelerated the canonization process. During the second period, “Camellias” and “Spring, Spring”, having already secured their status as representative works, came to legitimize interpretations of Kim Yu-jeong’s literature through the lens of humor, while this framework in turn further reinforced the canonical status of the two stories. Nearly every selected or collected edition of Kim Yu-jeong’s works published between 1938 and 1960 included either “Spring, Spring” or “Camellias”. Although sporadic objections to the designation of these works as representative texts occasionally emerged, the canonical status of the two stories has remained comparatively stable and continues to this day. Yet by confining Kim Yu-jeong’s literary world to regional lyricism or humor, we may lose sight of the wildness, passion, satire, and irony that contemporary critics of the 1930s discerned in his writing. It is hoped that this study, by revealing the historical contingency of canon formation, will contribute to a renewed appreciation of the richness and diversity of Kim Yu-jeong’s literary world.

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This paper was written with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea.
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