Kim Dong-in (1900–1951) was a Korean writer.
1. Life
Kim Dong-in, born on October 2, 1900 in Pyeongyang, was a pioneer of realism and naturalism in modern Korean literature. A son of a wealthy landowner, like many other young Korean intellectuals Kim was educated in Japan, attending the Meiji Academy in Tokyo and entering the Kawabata School of Fine Arts. Kim dropped out when he decided to pursue writing as a career. In 1919, Kim founded the transitory but influential journal Changjo (창조) in Japan along with other advocates for "art-for-art's-sake-literature," namely Joo Yohan, Jeon Yeongtaek, Choi Seungman, and Kim Hwan. Changjo took a stand against the didactic or "national" literature proposed by Yi Kwang-su. Kim published his debut story, "Yakhanjaui seulpeum" (약한자의 슬픔 The Sorrows of the Weak), in its inaugural issue. In 1925, Kim published one of his most famous works, "Gamja" (감자 Potatoes) which was a breakthrough in Korean "realist" fiction and a further salvo in his ongoing literary war with Yi Kwang-su.
Kim lived an extravagant lifestyle on his inheritance until 1930, at which point his finances began to fail. Kim's financial situation led him to depression and drug abuse. Until this point, Kim had been a purist (colloquial and realistic), but he now turned to popular serials, which he had previously spurned. Among these were a number of historical novels. In 1934, Kim published, somewhat ironically considering their different stances on literature, the first in-depth study of Yi Kwang-su, Chunwon yeongu (춘원연구A Study of Chunwon); in 1935, Kim launched the monthly magazine Yadam (야담).
In 1939, impoverished and in ill health, Kim joined Park Yong-hui, Lim Hak-su and others in a visit to Manchuria that was sponsored by the North Chinese Imperial Army. This was clearly an act of collaboration and is regarded to this day as a stain on his literary career. In 1942, however, Kim was jailed on charges of lese-majesty against the Emperor of Japan.
In 1946, after Korea's liberation, Kim was critical in forming the Pan-Korea Writers Association which countered other organizations promoting proletarian literature.
Kim continued to write, publishing stories including "Banyeokja"(반역자, The Traitor) and "Manggugingi" (망국인기 Man Without a Nation). These works, ironically, criticized Yi Kwang-Su and other writers who collaborated with the Japanese during the occupation. On January 5, 1951, Kim died at his home in Seoul.
In 1955, the magazine Sasanggye created the Dong-in Literary Award to commemorate Kim's literary achievements.
2. Writing
Kim Dong-in is best known for his short stories that combine exquisite aesthetic sensibilities with succinct prose style and objective perspective. He first drew attention with the publication of such naturalist stories as "Myeongmun" (명문 Distinguished Statement), "Sigol Hwangseobang" (시골 황서방 Hwang the Rustic) and "Gamja" (감자 Potatoes). In particular, “Potatoes,” a story of a woman who gradually loses all sense of decency and degenerates into a common prostitute as she tries to overcome economic hardship, is noted for the author’s use of realism and deterministic viewpoint to defy traditional morality and the didactic use of literature advocated by Yi Kwang-su’s enlightenment movement. In an era dominated by the Proletarian Movement and the New Tendency school of thought, when art was utilized to further ideological debates and social changes, Kim Dong-in upheld the vision of pure aestheticism and the autonomy of literature as art. This view is reflected in his aestheticist fiction such as "Gwangyeom sonata" (광염소나타, Sonata Appassionata) and "Gwanghwasa" (광화사 Gwanghwasa Temple), which feature mad artists in pursuit of artistic perfection.
Many of Kim's stories have been adapted to film. Fellow Korean author Kim Seungok wrote the screenplay and directed the first adaptation of "Potatoes" which was released in 1968. The story was adapted again in 1987 by director Byun Jang-ho. Other works which made it to the screen are as follows: The Young Ones (1985) directed by Ko Seong-ui, Identical Toes (1976) directed by Kim Soo-yong, Sonata Appassionata (1979) directed by Ko Young-nam, Gwanghwa Temple (1974) directed by Joo Dong-jin, and Baettaragi (1973) directed by Lee Kyu-hwan.
