@article{ART003314036},
author={choieho},
title={A Study of Seogwan-rok by Seokbuk Shin Gwang-su},
journal={The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture},
issn={2466-1759},
year={2026},
number={57},
pages={111-142}
TY - JOUR
AU - choieho
TI - A Study of Seogwan-rok by Seokbuk Shin Gwang-su
JO - The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture
PY - 2026
VL - null
IS - 57
PB - The Society of Korean Poetry and Culture
SP - 111
EP - 142
SN - 2466-1759
AB - This paper examines the poetic world of Seogwan-rok (西關錄), authored by Shin Gwang-su. Seogwan-rok is a collection of poems documenting the observations and sentiments from his two journeys to the Gwanseo region in 1760 and 1761. These travels were undertaken primarily to alleviate financial hardship, and the resulting works are preserved in the second volume of his collected writings, Seokbuk-jip (石北集).
As a literatus of the Namin (Southerners) faction during a period when the Noron (Old Doctrine) faction dominated the political landscape, Shin lived in persistent poverty despite achieving literary renown in his youth. Poverty was an inseparable condition of his existence, and his literary output was largely shaped through a close relationship with this economic reality.
Seogwan-rok is a product of the poet’s struggle to overcome poverty, providing a realistic portrayal of the fatigue of daily life and the self-sorrow of a fallen yangban (aristocrat). Since his journey was closer to a wandering for survival than a leisurely excursion, the longing for his family and hometown is expressed with profound emotional depth. Furthermore, the tragic narratives of the historical sites he visited mirrored the poet’s own desolate situation, leading these emotions to be deeply projected into his work.
In contrast, upon arriving in Pyongyang, the previous sentiments of sorrow and solitude vanish, replaced by a bright and positive tone centered on the enjoyment of arts and pungnyu (poetic flair). This shift occurred because Pyongyang was not merely a site of scenic beauty and pleasure, but a space that restored his self-esteem as a man of letters. This experience and his sense of pungnyu were later fully realized in Gwanseo-akbu (關西樂府), which he composed for Chae Je-gong.
KW - Shin Gwang-su;Seogwan-rok;Pungnyu (Poetic Flair);Sorrow;Gwanseo-akbu
DO -
UR -
ER -
choieho. (2026). A Study of Seogwan-rok by Seokbuk Shin Gwang-su. The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture, 57, 111-142.
choieho. 2026, "A Study of Seogwan-rok by Seokbuk Shin Gwang-su", The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture, no.57, pp.111-142.
choieho "A Study of Seogwan-rok by Seokbuk Shin Gwang-su" The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture 57 pp.111-142 (2026) : 111.
choieho. A Study of Seogwan-rok by Seokbuk Shin Gwang-su. 2026; 57 : 111-142.
choieho. "A Study of Seogwan-rok by Seokbuk Shin Gwang-su" The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture no.57(2026) : 111-142.
choieho. A Study of Seogwan-rok by Seokbuk Shin Gwang-su. The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture, 57, 111-142.
choieho. A Study of Seogwan-rok by Seokbuk Shin Gwang-su. The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture. 2026; 57 111-142.
choieho. A Study of Seogwan-rok by Seokbuk Shin Gwang-su. 2026; 57 : 111-142.
choieho. "A Study of Seogwan-rok by Seokbuk Shin Gwang-su" The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture no.57(2026) : 111-142.
