Lord Byron in Colonial Korea: Korean Intellectuals Pursuing National Freedom in the Spirit of Byron

Abstract

abstract:This article traces Korean intellectual interest in Lord Byron's work during the colonial period in Korea. The early attention to Byron began with scholars' studies of English literature in Japan and continued in so-called pure literature in the 1920s. As antipathy grew toward Japan, a focus on Byron's rebelliousness emerged in the journals of the Korean literary coteries. Studies of Byron at the imperial university in Seoul reveal how both students and faculty had to navigate between allegiance to Korea and presumed loyalty to Japan. Though interest in Byron was often complicated, he emerged as a symbol of resistance and freedom for Korean intellectuals.