Young-min Kwon (; born 1948) is a South Korean literary scholar and poet. He is known for his works on the historical and Modern Korean literature and criticism. His works primarily focuses on the works of Yi Sang and Han Yong-un. Kwon has contributed to the popularization and globalization of Korean literature. As a visiting professor, he taught Korean language and literature at Harvard University (1985–1986), University of California, Berkeley (1992–1995), and the University of Tokyo (1999–2000). Also, he co-authored the textbook What is Korean Literature? in collaboration with Bruce Fulton from the University of British Columbia, one of his well-known works. What is Korean Literature? is the first Korean literature textbook translated into English.Young-ju Shin, "Young-min Kwon & Bruce Fulton 'Book Talk' "Scholars who attributed to the globalization of Korean literature ["[권영민 & 브루스 풀턴 교수 '북토크'] 한국문학 세계화에 공헌한 두 학자"]," Korea Times [미주 한국일보], February 28, 2022, [권영민 & 브루스 풀턴 교수 '북 토크'] "한국문학 세계화에 공헌한 두 학자" - 미주 한국일보 (koreatimes.com).
This book has been used as a textbook in many different universities around the world, such as SOAS University of London"Trajectories of Modernity in Korean Literature and Film," SOAS University of London, Trajectories of Modernity in Korean Literature and Film | SOAS. and Ca' Foscari University in Venice."Korean Literature 2," Ca' Foscari University in Venice, KOREAN LITERATURE 2 [LT010J] - Unive. In addition, Kwon organized an international student exchange program for Korean literature and an international Korean literature translation workshop at Seoul National University."2009 Seoul National University Academic Research Award [2009 서울대학교 학술연구교육상]," https://www.snu.ac.kr/about/winners/research/2009/149. Because of Kwon's developments for an international exchange program and translational workshops, Seoul National University, Harvard, and UC Berkeley hold an annual student exchange program and several Korean literature translation workshops. The programs and workshops have helped graduate students build ties with other students abroad"The Sejong Cultural Society[세종문화회]," Sejong Cultural Society, judges | 2009 sejong writing competition (sejongculturalsociety.org). and take on careers in universities throughout the United States and South Korea.Young-ju Shin, "Young-min Kwon & Bruce Fulton 'Book Talk' "Scholars who attributed to the globalization of Korean literature ["[권영민 & 브루스 풀턴 교수 '북토크'] 한국문학 세계화에 공헌한 두 학자"]," Korea Times [미주 한국일보], February 28, 2022, [권영민 & 브루스 풀턴 교수 '북 토크'] "한국문학 세계화에 공헌한 두 학자" - 미주 한국일보 (koreatimes.com). Furthermore, in regard to his academic contributions, Kwon has previously given a public lecture on Korean literature at the Literature House, Seoul, where he discussed the worth and interpretation of Yi Sang's works in his 2012 lecture "Reunion with Yi Sang" (). The Literature House is a specialized literary art space for its participants and holds programs such as literary lectures and poetry readings. In 2013, as a chairperson of the Humanities Popularization Committee (), Kwon organized a Humanities concert series for the public in six cities of South Korea (Cheonan, Busan, Tongyeong, Gangneung, Gwangju, and Muan).
Life and career Young-min Kwon was born in Boryeong in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea, on October 5, 1948. He studied Korean literature at Seoul National University, where he received his BA (1971) and MA (1975). He also received his doctoral degree in 1984 from the same university."2009 Seoul National University Academic Research Award[2009 서울대학교 학술연구교육상]," Seoul National University [서울대학교], https://www.snu.ac.kr/about/winners/research/2009/149. Before graduating, he started his tenure as a professor of Korean literature at Seoul National University, which lasted from 1981 to 2012. Also, he served as a visiting professor of Korean literature at Harvard-Yenching Institute from 1985 to 1986,"2009 Seoul National University Academic Research Award [2009 서울대학교 학술연구교육상]," Seoul National University [서울대학교], https://www.snu.ac.kr/about/winners/research/2009/149. at Berkeley University from 1999 to 2000,"2009 Seoul National University Academic Research Award [2009 서울대학교 학술연구교육상]," Seoul National University [서울대학교], https://www.snu.ac.kr/about/winners/research/2009/149. and at the University of Tokyo from 2000 to 2002."2009 Seoul National University Academic Research Award [2009 서울대학교 학술연구교육상]," Seoul National University [서울대학교], https://www.snu.ac.kr/about/winners/research/2009/149. He held the position of the president of the Learned Society of Korean Modern Literature () from 2009 to 2011"2009 Seoul National University Academic Research Award[2009 서울대학교 학술연구교육상]," Seoul National University [서울대학교], https://www.snu.ac.kr/about/winners/research/2009/149. and he became a chair professor at Dankook University in 2012. He has worked as a professor emeritus at Seoul National University since 2000.
Achievements
The study of Yi Sang's works Young-min Kwon argues that Yi Sang's writings reflect various elements of 20th Century modernity.Jong Yeop Jo, "Poet Yi Sang, executive activities in 'Choseon Engineers' Society' Choseon Engineers gathering ["시인 이상, 조선인 엔지니어 모임 '조선공학회',"]," The Dong-A Ilbo [동아일보], August 26, 2019, "시인 이상, 조선인 엔지니어 모임 '조선공학회' 임원 활동"｜동아일보 (donga.com). He argues that Yi Sang's works deconstruct the content and form of the traditional novel since they have no form and use abstract styles through non-linear techniques and symbols.Young-min Kwon, The Birth of Modern Korean Literature: Yi Sang and his Literature [한국 모더니즘 문학의 탄생- 이상과 그의 문학], (Seoul: Sechang publishing [세창출판사], 2017), 70. Kwon also argues that Yi Sang used film techniques in his novels, such as the rapid shift of scenes and the integration of contrasting motives.Young-min Kwon, The Birth of Modern Korean Literature: Yi Sang and his Literature [한국 모더니즘 문학의 탄생- 이상과 그의 문학], (Seoul: Sechang publishing [세창출판사], 2017), 186. Furthermore, Kwon has also contributed to the reexamination of Japanese poems. Kwon argues that although these works are in Japanese, they still hold significance since they show a connection with modern Korean literature. He does so by expressing that these Japanese poems show new experimental techniques such as forming text through parody, delivering a poetic concept through montage, and varying poetic concepts through jumping and skipping.Young-min Kwon, The Birth of Modern Korean Literature: Yi Sang and his Literature [한국 모더니즘 문학의 탄생- 이상과 그의 문학], (Seoul: Sechang publishing [세창출판사], 2017), 233-234. Kwon interprets Yi Sang's experimental poem "Ogamdo" ()Young-min Kwon, The Birth of Modern Korean Literature: Yi Sang and his Literature [한국 모더니즘 문학의 탄생- 이상과 그의 문학], (Seoul: Sechang publishing [세창출판사], 2017), 47. as a form of visual poetry. Kwon argues that the impact of a visual aspect on the text and typography helps to comprehend Yi Sang's originality.Young-min Kwon, The Birth of Modern Korean Literature: Yi Sang and his Literature [한국 모더니즘 문학의 탄생- 이상과 그의 문학], (Seoul: Sechang publishing [세창출판사], 2017), 269.
The study of Yong-un Han's works Kwon argues that Yong-un Han tried to embrace the public, using easy words as if he was talking to the readers.Na-eun Lee, "Professor Young-min Kwon's Big Goals in Life: Popularizing Literature and Publishing the Collection of Manhae's Buddhist Works ["문학대중화와 만해불교전집 발간 인생의 큰 목표[서재탐방] 권영민 단국대 석좌교수,"]," Hyunbul News [현대불교], April 16, 2012, https://www.hyunbulnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=271515. As Han's previously published works contained many Chinese characters that were intended for scholars to read, Kwon, in order to make Han's work more accessible to the public, published The Complete Works of Yong-un Han (만해 한용운 문학전집, 2011). In The Complete Series of Yong-un Han (2011), Kwon added annotations and 11 Chinese poems that were published in the discontinued magazine "Samgukgi" () and the Japanese magazine "Hwayungi" ().Na-eun Lee, "Professor Young-min Kwon's Big Goals in Life: Popularizing Literature and Publishing the Collection of Manhae's Buddhist Works ["문학대중화와 만해불교전집 발간 인생의 큰 목표[서재탐방] 권영민 단국대 석좌교수,"]," Hyunbul News [현대불교], April 16, 2012, https://www.hyunbulnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=271515. By publishing this book, Kwon helped readers understand and gain easier access to poems that were not accessible to the public. Furthermore, this is the first book to publish Han's Japanese magazine "Samgukgi", which was published in The Chosun Ilbo and discontinued during the Japanese colonial period. Moreover, Kwon discovered Han's previous Chinese poems from "Hwayungi" through his investigation, restructured Han's texts, and added annotations to fit the viewpoint of 21st Century readers.Su-woong Eo, "Meeting Poet∙ Writer∙ Philosopher∙∙∙Renaissance man, Yong-un Han["시인∙작가∙사상가∙∙∙르네상스적 인간 한용운을 만나다,"],"The Chosun Ilbo [조선일보], November 1, 2011, https://www.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/10/31/2011103103215.html.
Criticism Young-min Kwon left many works on Yi Sang and Korean contemporary literature. However, the reception of Kwon's contributions was not without scrutiny, as various scholars have engaged in critical assessments of his publications. Hyun-su Park, a professor of Korean literature at Kyungpook National University, argues that Kwon's The Dictionary of Yi Sang's Works (2017) maintains the misinterpretations of preceding research without correcting their errors. He argues that there is major confusion stemming from the description of Yi Sang's life, the incoherence of his resignation as a temporary employee in the Japanese Government General, and the different dates surrounding Yi Sang's employment.Hyun-su Park, "A Research Report of a High Class Yi Sang Mania [최상급 이상 마니아의 연구 결과보고서-권영민의 『이상문학대사전』(2017)]," Yi Sang Review [이상리뷰] 15, 2019, 177. Some parts of the book state that Yi Sang resigned in 1933, and some assert that he resigned in 1932, which needs clarification. Literary critic Jeong Heo argues that another of Kwon's, The History of Korean Contemporary Literature, lacks an understanding of Changga (), a modern Korean enlightenment poem that borrows the melody from Western music."Changga [창가]," Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture [한국민속대백과사전], http://folkency.nfm.go.kr. Moreover, Heo also argues that the historical period of the book should be changed from "Korean literature from 1945 to 2000" to "Korean literature from 1990 to 2000" since the book's content does not cover Korean literature from 1945 to 2000 but, instead, covers literature from 1990 to 2000. Heo also discusses the potential degradation of the Korean language, breaking the fixed formality of other traditional poems. Heo further critiques that the book should expand the literary history to embrace marginalized literature that includes women's literature, local literature, and popular literature.Jeong Heo, "An Effort to Explore the History of National Literature [민족문학사 탐색을 위한 노력-권영민, 『한국현대문학사 1∙2』 (민음사, 2002)]," Contemporary Literature Review [오늘의 문예비평], 2003, 330-332.
Awards
7th Dugye Scholarship Award (제7회 두계학술상, 1988) 5th Seoul Culture and Arts Criticism Award (제5회 서울문화예술평론상, 1988) 35th Contemporary Literature Award for Criticism (제35회 현대문학평론상, 1990) Gimhwantae Prize in Critique Literature (제4회 김환태 평론문학상, 1992)"Gimhwantae Prize in Critique Literature [김환태 평론문학상]," Muju Grand Culture, http://www.grandculture.net/muju/toc/GC06501342. 9th Modern Buddhist Literature Criticism Award (제9회 현대불교문학평론상, 2004) Manhae Grand Prize Academy Award (만해대상 학술상, 2006) Seoul National University Academic Research Award (서울대학교 학술연구상, 2009) 5th Wooho Humanities Award (in the category of Korean Literature) (제5회 우호인문학상 (한국문학부문), 2013) 36th Sejong Cultural Award (in the Academic category) (제36회 세종문화상 (학술부문), 2017)
Works Main works A Study on Korean National Literature Theory (한국 민족문학론 연구, 1991) A Study on Modern Korean Writers (한국 현대 작가 연구, 1991)