Report by Chiyeon Hwang (Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures)
The generous support of the CALL Uehiro Program made it possible for me to conduct research fieldwork in South Korea this past summer. My dissertation focuses on the life and works of the Korean author Pak Hwa-sŏng (1904–1988), specifically her literary works and activities from the colonial period (1910–1945). During this trip, I was able to scan and gather additional primary and secondary sources on the author and her works at the National Library of Korea, which will further strengthen my dissertation by providing contextual background on Pak’s subjective position as a woman writer during the colonial period.
Being able to access Korean journals and newspapers, as well as works by Korean scholars in the field of modern Korean literature, also greatly contributed to a better understanding of the historical, social, and cultural context of the period and the lives of writers at the time. The archival materials will provide a deeper understanding of the
social and political climate in which women writers emerged in modern Korea, and how the first group of socialist women writers established themselves in the literary world.
Additionally, I was able to travel to the harbor city of Mokpo in Korea and visit historical sites related to Pak’s hometown and residence, and also interview the author’s family members, who generously shared their time and lived experiences with me. Their reflections and insights helped to fill gaps in my research and prompted ideas for specific chapters in my dissertation regarding Pak’s formative years and family life. I am very grateful to the CALL Uehiro Program for its support, which gave me the opportunity to travel to Korea to conduct part of my field research in this manner.