Foreign Languages, Cultures, and Literatures (FLCL), Division of Languages and Literature, and Dean of the College Present

Ruined Splendor: Korean Travelers in (Semi) Colonial Cities

Korean travel writings under Japanese colonial rule (1910–1945) are often interpreted as imperial propaganda, yet this narrative overlooks the subversive potential of decadence as a literary aesthetic in these works. This talk examines two examples of Korean travel writings that are set in colonial or semi-colonial cities, written around the Second Sino-Japanese War: Yi Hyosŏk’s Harbin (Haŏlbin), set in Harbin, and Chŏng Pisŏk’s This Atmosphere (I punwigi), set in Beijing. In these stories, the foreign cities present as disquietingly uncanny sites of identification and critique for the Korean travelers. Where Yi’s Harbin laments the loss of urban utopia, Chŏng’s This Atmosphere envisions a violent renewal through the city’s destruction. Together, these works show a resistance to the narrative of capitalist-imperial modernity as progress. Situating the texts within the broader goals of imperial propaganda, this talk highlights the imaginative possibilities that emerge through decadence.

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For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].

Time: 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm EST/GMT-5

Location: Olin Humanities, Room 102

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