ScholarWorks@숙명여자대학교

초록

This study aims to examine the placeness of agora shown in Korean modern novels published in the 2000s. For this, this study examined the aspect of having personal experiences of place and forming identity at agora shown in 『Candle Flower』 by Kim, Seon-Woo, 「Michaela」 by Choi, Eun-Young, 「Near the Square」 by Kim, Hye-Jin and 「No Need to Say Anything」 by Hwang, Jeong-Eun. In the 『Candle Flower』, a girl named Jio from Canada is grown into a political subject in a democratic public sphere by participating in the candlelight rally against the importing of U.S. beef together with her Korean teenage friends in 2008, and the places of governmental authority such as police bus and container wall are appropriated as peace and humor. Moreover, the death of Sook-Ja who appears with her own cow in the agora after being evicted from a new town redevelopment area, inspires Jio and many others to practise ‘Making an Alternative Place’ thinking about environment and “courtesy towards life”. The 「Michaela」 shows that the memory of Sewol ferry is place-made through the competition around a place for the encouragement of truth ascertainment, discourse of fatigue, politics of memory, and politics of oblivion happening in the Gwanghwamun Square. In the 「Near the Square」, a young man who sells DVDs is completely alienated in a public space without banding together with fired workers or people who are excited about the Pope’s visit. The 「No Need to Say Anything」 also asks “Has the revolution been completed?” through the aspect of misogyny and gender discrimination experienced in the candlelight rally for the impeachment of the President Park, Geun-Hye in 2016. In summary, as a place for free openness and democratic communication, a sense of place of agora described in Korean modern novels published in the 2000s, composes the characters as apolitical subject. However, through the characters without a place who are excluded even from agora as a public space, they urge the sensitivity to place by raising a question about if the agora is practising the publicness and human rights by fully realizing the passion for democracy.

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