‘국민문학’의 기획과 ‘신지방주의’론 : 김종한, 최재서를 중심으로

이 글은 ‘『국민문학』의 신지방주의론’을 고찰하는 것을 목적으로 하였다. ‘신지방주의’는 김종한에 의해 처음으로 제기되었고 그것을 적극적으로 수용한 사람은 최재서였다. 본고는 ‘『국민문학』의 신지방주의론’은 먼저 김종한에 의해 새로운 ‘지방’ 개념이 제시되었고 최재서가 그 ‘지방’ 개념을 조선문학에 대입하여 ‘신지방주의 문학론’으로 발전시키면서 단계적으로 발전하였음을 밝혀내고자 했다. 지금까지 김종한의 ‘신지방주의’는 ｢一枝의 윤리｣(『국민문학』, 1942년 3월)를 중심으로 논의가 이루어졌지만 그의 ‘신지방주의’를 완성시킨 글은 ｢본연의 자세에 대한 담의(1~4): 신지방주의문화의 구상(ありかた談義(1~4)：新地方主意文化の構想)｣이었고 그가 이런 논의를 전개시킬 수 있었던 이론적 근거는 대동아공영권에 대한 지정학적 인식이었다. 그리고 최재서의 ‘국민문학론’이라고 하는 것은 사실은 ‘신지방주의 문학론’이었고 그 핵심은 ‘조선적인 독창성’이었다. 이것이 식민지말기 조선지식인들이 고집했던 조선문학의 길이었고 이러한 주장은 일본지식인들과의 반복적인 공방을 겪으면서도 끝내는 통일적인 견해로 이어지지 못했다. ‘신지방주의론’의 전개 과정은 『국민문학』의 해결되지 않는 갈등의 표면화 과정이었고 동시에 그것은 ‘국민문학’의 한 이상이기도 했다.

This study aims at examining the new localism theory of Kukmin-Munhak (natinal literature). New localism was raised by Kim Jong-han for the first time, and a person who actively accepted it was Choi Jae-seo. New localism theory has been called Kim Jong-han’s new localism or the new localism theory of Kukmin-Munhak thus far, and both has not been classified. However, this study tried to identify that a new concept of “local” was raised by Kim Jong-han in terms of the new localism of Kukmin-Munhak, and that the concept of “local” was substituted to Joseon literature by Choi Jae-seo and was developed into new localism literature theory; namely it was formed step-by-step. Although debate on Kim Jong-han’s new localism was conducted, centered on Ethics of One Branch (Kukmin-Munhak, Mar. 1042), the writing that completed the debate of his new localism was “Discussion on Proper Attitude (1~4): Design of New Localism Culture (1~40). The theoretic foundation, based on which such a debate could be developed, was the geopolitical recognition on the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Choi Jae-seo’s Kukmin-Munhak theory that built up some achievements was new localism literature theory in reality, and the core of it was Joseon style originality. This was the essence of Joseon literature that intellectuals of Joseon insisted at the end of the Japanese colonial rule period, but the assertion could not be connected to a unified view, while repetitive battle was waged with Japanese intellectuals. The development of the new localism theory of Kukmin-Munhak at the end of the colonial rule period was a crisis that Kukmin-Munhak faced, and it was also the aporia of Kukmin-Munhak.

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