Zainichi as an Exile : The Diaspora Literary World of the Poet Kim Shijong

Kwak, Hyoungduck (author)

This study explores the diasporic journey and literary contributions of Kim Shijong, a significant figure in Zainichi Korean literature. Born during the Japanese colonial era and having participated in the Jeju April 3rd Incident, Kim sought asylum in Japan, where he lived under another name and engaged in various social and political movements. His poetry, written in Japanese, reflects the complex interplay of personal trauma, historical tragedies, and the ongoing struggles of the Korean diaspora. The analysis explores Kim’s literary works, examining how his experiences with the Jeju April 3rd Incident, the anti-nuclear movement, and the Great East Japan Earthquake are interwoven with broader themes of displacement, identity, and resistance. By situating Kim Shijong’s works within the context of world literature and diaspora studies, this paper highlights the poet’s efforts to confront and articulate the multifaceted realities of his time, extending his influence beyond national boundaries and contributing to a deeper understanding of Korean and global literary landscapes.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Kim Shijong, Zainichi Korean literature, Jeju April 3rd Incident, diaspora literature, Great East Japan Earthquake, historical trauma, minority literature
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 17.03.2025
• Number of pages: Str. 67-89
• Numbering: Vol. 13, no. suppl.
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-178230
• ISSN: 2232-5131
• eISSN: 2350-4226
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4312/as.2025.13.sup.67-89
• Publication date in RUL: 21.01.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Asian studies
• Publisher: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2232-5131
• COBISS.SI-ID: 265206272

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
• Description: A Creative Commons license that bans commercial use and requires the user to release any modified works under this license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Zainichi kot izgnanec : literarni svet diaspore pesnika Kim Shijonga

Abstract

Ta študija raziskuje diasporično pot in literarne prispevke Kim Shijonga, pomembne osebnosti korejske literature Zainichi. Kim se je rodil v času japonske kolonialne dobe in sodeloval v incidentu na Jejuju 3. aprila, zato je zaprosil za azil na Japonskem, kjer je živel pod drugim imenom ter sodeloval v različnih družbenih in političnih gibanjih. Njegova poezija, napisana v japonščini, odraža zapleteno prepletanje osebnih travm, zgodovinskih tragedij in nenehnih bojev korejske diaspore. Analiza obravnava Kimova literarna dela in proučuje, kako se njegove izkušnje z incidentom na Jejuju 3. aprila, protijedrskim gibanjem in velikim vzhodnojaponskim potresom prepletajo s širšimi temami razseljenosti, identitete in upora. Z umestitvijo del Kima Shijonga v kontekst svetovne književnosti in študij diaspore ta članek izpostavlja pesnikova prizadevanja,

• Keywords: Kim Shijong, korejska literatura Zainichi, incident na Jejuju 3. aprila, literatura diaspore, veliki vzhodnojaponski potres, zgodovinska travma, manjšinska literatura

Projects

• Funder: Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea
• Project number: NRF-2024S1A5A2A01024224