김옥균의 죽음을 둘러싼 비극적 현실과 이상 세계 추구 -아키타 우자쿠의 『김옥균의 죽음』을 중심으로-

Abstract

Ok-Kyun Kim(1851-1894) uproused Gabsinjeongbyeon for national prosperity andmilitary power that has seek independence of Chosun from Qing dynasty andmodernization on 4th December in 1884, but his attempts failed due to short-livedreign. After he had left off to Japan, he had lived in exile for about 10 years wanderingaround Ogasawara and Hokkaido. On 28th March in 1894, the day after he arrivedto Shanghai for meeting with Hong jang Lee from Qing dynasty, he was assassinatedby accompanier Jong-Woo Hong sent from Chosun. However, not only his behaviorsand tragic death has had great influence on Chosun, Japan and China, but has beenappraised and interpreted diversely for the literary material up until today. Especially,after released <Death of Ok Kyun Kim> (magazine In-moon) on January in 1920,being the first play written about Ok-Kyun Kim, Akita Ujaku has had much influenceon plays about Ok-Kyun Kim in Japan and Korea. It actually is comprised of withinonly one act, and depicts the postwar scene that Ok-Kyun Kim was sniped byJong-Woo Hong on 28th March in content. The playwriter, as lacking historicalknowledge of the real site and Ok-kyun’s death, filled the absence with hisimagination (or dramatic fabrication) or his own historical acknowledgement inrespect that he focused the subject mainly on the death of Ok-kyun Kim, contraryto previous movie work that delineated Gabsinjeongbyeon. That is, a playwriter’sdrafting with the subject on historical figure cannot be interpreted to be intendedto the historical figure’s facts as it is. It would rather seem to that the playwriterhas been originally meant to solve the social issue through the character’s behaviorsor/and words with playwriter’s criticism toward the society he is living. In addition,playwriter’s intention is delivered in a more clear and strong style to the audienceby plays based on the theatre- even more stronger and clearer if the historical subjectis the simultaneous figure, not the past one. Likewise, Akita Ujaku attempted toreproduce 1920’s periodical apprehension through <Death of Ok-kyun Kim>. With the subject on Ok-kyun Kim who was assassinated in Shanghai on 28th March in1894, it faced the disconsolate 1920’s periodical reality as making his life condensedinto overall life. And it was aimed for the society that has been ultimately seek,the equalized society where nobody can be discriminated. By death of Ok-kyun Kim,beyond individual’s death, Akita Ujaku seems to serve as a momentum of startingpoint toward the futuristic and idealistic world and of seeding the courage to gothrough the reality issues faced by the young like Ota. In that regard, Ok kyun’sdeath has had profound impact on intelligences and masses of ranging from Chosunto Japan and China. Therefore, it is able to check that death and status of Ok-kyunKim displayed on <Death of Ok-kyun Kim> in 1920, has been descended as therepresentational model of reflecting the ironies and issues of reality at each periodand overcoming realities, beyond just staying at one historical accident.