This thesis focuses on the analysis of the novel Mujeong, written in 1917 by author I Gwang-su, which is widely recognized as the first modern Korean novel. The study examines the literary, social, and ideological aspects of the work in connection with Korea’s modernization at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Central attention is given to the question of why Mujeong is considered the first modern Korean novel and how emerging modernity is reflected within it. The thesis aims to demonstrate how the novel transcends the framework of a simple love story and becomes an expression of the transition from a traditional (Neo)Confucian society to a modern one. The focus is placed on the development of the protagonists, especially I Hyeong-sik, who embodies the figure of the intellectual individual, and on the role of female characters, who reflect increasing aspirations for independence, though still bound by traditional duties. Using a methodological approach that combines literary analysis and a cultural-historical framework, the thesis concludes that Mujeong represents the first modern Korean novel primarily due to its fundamental ideas concerning the renewal of national consciousness and the formation of a new individual and collective identity in early 20th-century Korea.
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