THE KOREAN GIRL DURING THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION
THE KOREAN GIRL DURING THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION

Summary/Abstract: Although the Republic of Korea is an economic power at present, in the recent past, it has faced the trauma of Japanese colonization, the division of the peninsula, and the brutal war between North and South Korea. The Japanese occupation has become a cultural focal point since the 1990’s for many Korean authors, such as Pak Wan-suh, Kim Soom, and Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, as well as Korean American writers, such as Nora Okja Keller and Mary Lynn Bracht. The research aims to examine the lesser-known experiences of Korean girls during this period in time. The paper will analyze novels that depict the lives of girls who remained on the Korean peninsula, through the works of Linda Sue Park and Sook Nyul Choi, as well as works that portray the trauma of girls sent to "comfort stations" in Manchuria and other parts of the Japanese Empire, as seen in the writings of Chang-rae Lee and Therese Park. By shedding light on these overlooked narratives, the study seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex legacies of occupation.

• Details
• Contents