Modern Youth and Gender in Romance Literature in 1930s Colonial Korea: Kim Namch’ŏn’s Aquarium of Love

Abstract

This presentation explores the theme of “modern youth” and gender in the popular novel, particularly romance literature from the 1930s in colonial Korea. I will focus on a newspaper-serialized novel Sarang ŭi sujokkwan (The Aquarium of Love) (1939–1940) by Kim Namch’ŏn (1911–1953?) and the role of young women—elite girl school graduates and working class women—in the narrative. In the past, critics identified The Aquarium of Love as an example of post-conversion and lowbrow popular (t’ongsok) novel by Kim, a former KAPF (Korea Artista Proleta Federacio) member. Recent scholarships, however, paid attention to the long novel for its representation of colonial reality, Korean modern youth (hyŏndae ch’ŏngnyŏn) within the Japanese Empire, and suggested that Kim leaned to supporting the Japanese imperialism. This presentation argues that The Aquarium of Love novel fits well with the trend of the contemporary popular romance novel of the 1930s. While some elite male writers continued to feature modern and enlightened female figures as embodiments of “pure” or romantic love, popular literature tended to portray modern but immoral or even licentious women who are in conflict with emerging capitalist culture. In the case of Kim Namch’ŏn, he combines both trends. In the novel, Kim suggests idealized gender roles for both men and women in romance relationship, which is participated by educated urban youth and upholds patriarchal social values. I will also discuss how this (un)match with Kim’s other essays on popular and mass literature, especially considering his proletarian activist past.