Yi Kwang-su and Modern Korean Literature: Mujong, by Ann Sung-hi Lee

Yi Kwang-su is considered among the first major modern Korean novelists, with his book Mujong, published in 1917 during the Japanese occupation. He is attributed with introducing irony and the drama of domestic intrigue into Korean literature. This translation of Mujong is also an analysis of literary precedents, use of language and diction, exploration of themes, and Yi’s biography and youth.