Frozen Fish

Chae Man-sik

Dis 2013 · 20th Century Korean Literature · Literature Translation Institute of Korea

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 Chae Man-sik’s novella, Frozen Fish, was published in Inmun Pyeongron in 1940. The title depicts Joseon intellectuals that were unable to live autonomous lives due to Japanese oppression during the 1940s when the Japanese Empire’s nationalist, fascist system kicked into full swing. In the story, protagonist Moon Dae-yeong meets a Japanese woman, Sumiko, by chance. His fondness for her develops into a love affair, and in the end, they go their separate ways, with Dae-yeong returning home to his wife. Frozen Fish is sometimes interpreted as a work that reveals hints of the author’s pro-Japanese sympathies, but ultimately, it describes the intellectuals of the colonial era who were unable to play any sort of productive or independent role.

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 Chae Man-sik (1902-1950) was born in Okgu, North Jeolla Province in 1902. His pen names are Baek-reung and Chae-ong. After graduating from Joong-ang High School, he studied the arts at Waseda University, Japan. Chae Man-sik is considered to be one of the most emblematic novelists of the colonial period. He produced works that authentically showcased the social realities and conflicts of the time such as My Innocent Uncle (1938), Turbid Waters (1937-1938), Peace Under Heaven (1938), Frozen Fish (1940), and the play The Legend of the Mantis (1940), among others. His artistic world puts emphasis on reflecting and criticizing the reality of his day. In his works, he truthfully describes the destitution of farmers under colonial rule, the anguish of intellectuals, the fall of the inner city lower class, and the chaos that ensued after independence. After the restoration of independence, he produced controversial pieces such as Transgressor of the Nation, The Story of the Rice Paddy, and Mister Bang, that reflected on the history of Japanese forced labor camps and incisively delved into post-independence Korean society. He died right before the outbreak of the Korean War in June 25th, 1950, from pneumonia.