Yi Sang

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Kim Hae-Gyeong (Yi Sang)
Born	Kim Hae-Gyeong September 23, 1910 Keijō, Keiki-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan
Died	April 17, 1937(1937-04-17) (aged 26) Tokyo, Empire of Japan
Occupation(s)	Poet Novelist Architect Painter Illustrator
Organization(s)	Guinhoe (Circle of Nine, 구인회, 九人會)
Notable work	Crow’s Eye View The Wings
Movement	Modernism

Yi Sang
Hangul	이상
Hanja	李箱
Revised Romanization	I Sang
McCune–Reischauer	I Sang
Birth name
Hangul	김해경
Hanja	金海卿
Revised Romanization	Gim Hae(-)gyeong
McCune–Reischauer	Kim Haegyŏng

Kim Hae-Gyeong (김해경; 金海卿; September 23, 1910 – April 17, 1937), also known by his art name Yi Sang (이상; 李箱) was a writer and poet who lived in Korea under Japanese rule.^[1] He is well known for his poems and novels, such as Crow's-Eye View and Wings. He is considered as a pivotal and revolutionary figure of modern Korean literature.^[2][3]

Timeline

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^[4]

Year	Personal history
1910	He was born as the eldest son of Kim Yeun-chang (27 years old at the time) and Park Se-chang.
1912	Adopted by the elder brother of his father, Kim Yeun-pil.
1913	His brother Kim Un-gyeong was born.
1914	His foster father remarried to Kim Young-sook.
1916	His sister Kim Ok-hee was born.
1918	He entered Shinmyeong School.
1921	He graduated from Shinmyeong School and entered Donggwang School.
1924	Donggwang School was merged into Boseong Gobo, and he was transferred to Boseong Gobo as a fourth-year student. The art teacher of this school was Ko Huidong. Kim Kirim also attended this school.
1925	He was drawing enthusiastically. He won an award for landscape painting in school exhibition.
1927	He graduated from Boseong Gobo and entered the Architecture Department of Kyungsung High School.
1929	He graduated from Kyungsung High School. He worked for Japanese Colonial Government of Korea as an architect. He was transferred to the building and repairs section of the official accounting department.
1930	He worked in the wiring of the Uiju Tong building.
1931	He won a self-portrait in the ninth round of the Joseon Art Exhibition. Primary hemoptysis occurred around 1930-31.
1932	His fosterfather died on May 7.
1933	He resigned from his job. He experienced hemoptysis. In March, he went to Baecheon Hot Spring to recuperate. He became close to Geum-Hong. He began to interact with Guinhoe(九人會). He started running a coffee shop called "Jebi".
1934	He entered Guinhoe(九人會). He illustrated Park Tae-won's "One Day of the Novelist Gubo" under the pseudonym 河戎. He engaged in coffee shop management and creation as part of his stepfather's estate.
1935	He closed coffee shop called "Jebi". It was opened at 33 Jongno 1-ga. This cafe was designed by Yi sang him himself, and the wall in contact with the road was made of glass. Geum-Hong's fourth run-away. A trip to Incheon and Seongcheon after failing at a coffee shop.
1936	He married Byun Dong-Rim. He went to Tokyo alone.
1937	He was investigated by the Nishi-Ganda Police Station in Tokyo on ideological charges and released. On April 17. At dawn, he died at a hospital affiliated with Tokyo National University. He was later buried in Miari Cemetery.

Biography

Kim Hae-gyeong was born in Seoul, Korea, on September 23, 1910. Yi Sang's great-grandfather, Kim Hak-jun, held the rank of 'Jeong 3 Pum Dangsangwan' (정3품 당상관 관직: 도정; 都正) in the Joseon Dynasty. He lived in a very affluent household, but the annexation of Korea by Japan led to a decline in the family's fortunes.^[5] His father, Kim Young-Chang worked in the letterpress printing service in a palace before his birth, but after an accident that cut off his finger, he opened a barbershop and made a living.^[6] He was raised by his uncle Kim Yeon-Pil as an adoptive son (김연필; 金演弼) since 1913, because Yeon-Pil and his wife had no children at that point. Later, however, Yeon-Pil took Kim Young-Sook (김영숙; 金英淑) as his concubine, and the son she already had, Kim Moon-Kyung (김문경; 金汶卿), became a legal son of Yeon-Pil.^[6] Yi Sang spent time at his uncle's house even during his tenure as an official in the Government-General of Korea. He entered Gyeongseong Technical College in 1926 because his uncle did not let him to do art and told him, "You must have to learn techniques."^[5]

His primary and secondary education were through Sinmyeong School (신명학교; 新明學校. 1917–1921), Donggwang School (동광학교; 東光學校. 1921–1922) and Posung School (보성고등보통학교; 普成高等普通學校; 1922–1926. Donggwang School was merged into Posung School in 1922.). He met his friend Koo Bon-Woong (구본웅; 具本雄) at Sinmyeong School. The Posung School record shows that he wanted to become an artist.

In 1926, he entered Gyeongseong Technical College (경성고등공업학교; 京城高等工業專門學校. 1926–1929), the most prominent tertiary education institution at that time, majoring in architecture. In 1928, he graduated from the college with 1st place honors. In the graduation photobook, he used his art name Yi Sang (이상; 李箱) for the first time, as far as known.^[7] And there is testimony that it originated from the art box he received as a gift from Koo Bon-woong. Since the art box he received was made of plum tree, Yi Sang (李箱) is interpreted to mean ‘plum wood box’.^[8] Additionally, in his work 'Wings', he expressed his art name as 'Ri Sang' rather than 'Yi Sang'.^[9]

In April 1929, with a recommendation through the college, he was employed as a public official (기수; 技手) in the architecture team in the Department of Domestic affairs (내무국 건축과; 內務局 建築課) of the Government-General of Korea (조선총독부; 朝鮮總督府). In November, he moved his position to the building maintenance team of the Department of Secretariat and Accounting (관방회계과 영선계; 官房會計課 營繕係).^[6]

In December 1929, he became a member of the Joseon Architecture Society (Joseon Geonchukhoe, 조선건축회; 朝鮮建築會), which mainly comprised Japanese architects in Korea, and he won first and third prizes in a design contest for the cover of Joseon and Architecture (Joseongwa Geonchuk, Japanese: 朝鮮と建築, hangul: 조선과건축), a journal issued by the Joseon Architecture Society. Most of his works were produced during the 1930s.^[10]

In 1933, he coughed up blood as he had tuberculosis, which forced him quit his job as a public official in architecture. Then he opened a coffee house, Jebi, where he had interacted with other writers and artists.^[11]

In 1934 he joined the Guinhoe(; 구인회; 九人會).^[12] The Guinhoe, or Circle of Nine, was a literary organization formed on August 26, 1933, at the suggestion of Kim Yoo-yeong and Lee Jong-myeong, to pursue pure literature against KAPF (Korea Artista Proleta Federacio), an organization that pursued proletarian literature. The group prioritized recruiting individuals associated with the cultural departments of daily newspapers, aiming for members who could withstand criticism from KAPF. Mentioned individuals included Lee Tae-jun, Lee Moo-young, and Kim Ki-rim. In addition, to reveal its character as a literary circle, famous writers at the time such as Lee Hyo-seok, Jung Ji-yong, and Yoo Chi-jin joined the Guinhoe. However, even though two individuals closely associated with KAPF established the Guinhoe to counter KAPF, the group's character gradually solidified into that of a simple social gathering. As a result, many of the early members who planned the group, such as Kim Yoo-young, Lee Jong-myung, Lee Moo-young, and Lee Hyo-seok, withdrew. Park Tae-won and Yi Sang filled their vacancies. Consequently, Guinhoe began to take on a direction different from its initial purpose. The increase in members with academic backgrounds, particularly those majoring in English literature, suggests that these individuals began to emerge as a force in Korean literature.^[13]

In 1936, Yi Sang edited Poetry and Novel (Siwa soseol; 시와 소설), the Circle of Nine^[14] magazine, published by Changmunsa under the aegis of Koo Bon-Woong. His “Street Exterior, Street Passage” (Gaoe gajeon; 가외가전; 街外街傳) was published in this journal. His short story “Diary Before Death” (Jongsaenggi; 종생기; 終生記) and his personal memoir “Monotony” (Gwontae; 권태; 倦怠) were published posthumously in Tokyo.^[10]

In 1935, the coffee shop Jebi was closed due to financial difficulties, and he broke up with Geumhong. Cafe Tsuru and Coffee Shop 69 in Insa-dong were opened and transferred, and after managing Coffee Shop Mugi in Myeong-dong, and right after he closed it he healed in Seongcheon and Incheon.

In November 1936 he went to Japan.

In February 1937, he was investigated by the Nishi-Ganda Police Station in Tokyo on ideological charges. After being investigated for about a month, he was released from prison due to worsening tuberculosis. He was hospitalized at the Tokyo Imperial University Hospital, and died on April 17 at the age of 28. His wife, Byun Dong-rim, moved to Japan immediately after hearing that Yi Sang was in critical condition. After Yi Sang died, she cremated his ashes and buried them in Miari Cemetery.^[15] Later, according to Byun Dong-rim, she asked him what he wanted to eat, and he died soon after leaving the words, "Sembikiya's melon." ^[16] Park Tae-won, a fellow literary man and friend, mentions the following, "He loved girls so much, loved alcohol, loved his friends, and loved literature, but not half of it loved his body." "His death is named as death from illness, but isn't the essence of death suicide? Such suspicions become intense," he said.^[17]

Literary Relationship

Jung Ji-yong (鄭芝溶)

Jung Ji-yong is a founding member of the Guinhoe to which Yi Sang belongs. In 1933, he served as an editorial advisor to <Catholic Youth (가톨닉靑年)>, playing a major role in promoting Yi Sang's poems. With the help of Jeong Ji-yong, Yi sang published works such as "꽃나무" and "이런시" in Korean in <Catholic Youth>.

Park Tae-won (朴泰遠)

Yi Sang and Park Tae-won were born around the same time and both hailed from the four gates of Gyeongseong, now known as Seoul. This shared origin is an important clue to understanding their literary worlds.

Both Park Tae-won and Yi Sang were members of Guinhoe(九人會), the Circle of Nine, which they joined in 1934. They first met at Dabang Jebi, a coffee house opened by Yi Sang in Jong-no 1(il)-ga. Their first meeting is estimated to have occurred in June or July 1933. Kim Ki-rim, another Guinhoe member, and Ko Un wrote that Jebi opened in July 1933, while Yi Sang's sister, Kim Ok-hee, mentioned June of the same year. The story of their first meeting is recounted in Park Tae-won’s memoir for Yi Sang, “Yi Sang-ui Pyeonmo” (이상의 편모), written after Yi Sang’s death. Park Tae-won was intrigued by Yi Sang as a poet and his poem “Movement” (운동; 運動).

Maintaining their relationship, Park Tae-won and Yi Sang collaborated with the newspaper “Joseon-Jungang-ilbo” to publish a series of Yi Sang’s poems, "Crow's Eye View" (Ogam-do; 오감도; 烏瞰圖)”, and Park’s novel, "A Day in the Life of Novelist Mr. Gubo" (소설가 구보씨의 일일). Yi Sang also created illustrations for Park Tae-won’s novel. Despite facing harsh criticism for the abstruseness of their literature, they continued their literary endeavors. After Yi Sang’s admission to Guinhoe in the fall of 1934, they focused on the publication of the bulletin “Poet and Novel” (시와 소설).

They also shared literary themes in works like Yi Sang’s poem “Movement” (운동; 運動) and Park Tae-won’s short story “Bangranjang Juin (방랑장 주인; 芳蘭莊 主人)", both written in a single sentence. Park Tae-won’s novels often repeat similar themes and patterns, one of which is "A Novel Report on Yi Sang’s Private Life," including works such as "Aeyog" (애욕, 1934), "Bogo" (보고, 1936), "Yi Sang-ui Bilyeon" (이상의 비련, 1936), "Yeomcheon" (염천, 1938), and "Jebi" (제비, 1939).

The main character of the novel "Aeyog" (1934) is believed to be modeled after Yi Sang, hinted by Yi Sang's pen name "Hae-yung," who drew an illustration for "A Day in the Life of Novelist Mr. Gubo." "Jebi" (1939) is a novel based on the tea house 'Jebi' run by Yi Sang, illustrated by Park Tae-won.

Park Tae-won and Yi Sang were inseparable, sharing not only their literary endeavors but also their indulgences, depressions, and moments of decadence. Park Tae-won’s house in Da-dong was a refuge for Yi Sang whenever he was beaten by Geum-Hong, who lived with him. However, their close relationship ended with Yi Sang’s death in Tokyo. [1]^[18]

Kim Ki-rim (金起林)

Kim Ki-rim, a poet and a newspaper reporter at the Chosun Ilbo, was one of the founding members of Guinhoe. Yi Sang was initially introduced to Kim by Park Tae-won. During their first encounter, they discussed Jules Renard, Salvador Dalí, and René Clair. Kim became interested in Yi because of their shared aesthetic affinity for surrealism.^[19] Yi Sang designed the cover of Kim Ki-rim's poetry collection, "Gisangdo" (기상도).

Between 1936 and 1937, Yi Sang sent seven letters to Kim Ki-rim, which are still preserved today under the title ‘To Kim Ki-rim’. During this period, Yi moved to mainland Japan and was close to death due to tuberculosis. These letters reflect Yi's everyday thoughts and experiences. For instance, in the fourth letter, Yi mentions René Clair, the French filmmaker, and criticizes his movie, "The Ghost Goes West." The letters also highlight their close relationship. Yi frequently discussed the progress of his works, such as "The Wings" (날개) and "Diary Before Death" (Jongsaenggi; 종생기; 終生記), requesting Kim's opinions on them. Additionally, Yi commented on a paper by Choi Jae-seo, a Korean literature critic, who criticized works like "The Wings (날개)".

After Yi Sang's death, Kim Ki-rim wrote a tribute titled "Memories of the Late Yi Sang" (고 이상의 추억). In this tribute, he recognized Yi's death as a "tragedy of a reduced-printed era," placing Yi's death within a historical context.^[20][21] In 1949, Kim Ki-rim collected Yi Sang's works and published the first collected works, "Yi Sang Seon-jip" (이상선집; 李箱選集).

Koo Bon-Woong (具本雄)

Koo Bon-Woong was a painter and art critic who graduated from the Taiheiyo Art School(太平洋美術 學校). He first met Yi Sang at Sinmyeong School. Koo, who had a hunchback, attended school intermittently due to health problems and ended up graduating alongside Yi Sang, who was four years younger. Teased because of his hunchback, Koo developed a keen interest in art. Similarly, Yi Sang, who also had a strong interest in art, became friends with Koo, supporting and respecting him. This marked the beginning of their relationship, which continued into adulthood.

In 1933, to care for Yi Sang, who had quit his job as a public official due to illness, Koo Bon-Woong took him to Baechon Hot Springs in Hwanghae Province. Baechon Hot Springs is also known as the place where Yi Sang first met Geum-Hong. After Yi Sang's health slightly improved, he and Geum-Hong returned to Seoul (Koo returned before them) and opened a coffee shop called "Jebi". It is said that Koo Bon-Woong's painting, "Still Object with a Doll" (인형이 있는 정물, 71.4 cm x 89.4 cm), was displayed in this café.

After Jebi closed down, Yi Sang had no means of livelihood. He eventually found work as a proofreader at Koo Bon-Woong's printing press. There, with Koo's assistance, Yi Sang founded a literary magazine called "Poetry and Novel" (시와 소설), featuring works from members of Guinhoe. Although only the inaugural issue was produced due to a lack of active participation from the members, Yi Sang's postscript in the magazine shows that Koo Bon-Woong was a fervent supporter of Yi Sang's artistic activities.

Furthermore, Yi Sang's last lover, Byun Dong-Rim, was the younger sister of Koo Bon-Woong's stepmother. This somewhat unusual relationship was due to the fact that Koo's stepmother was not significantly older than Koo. Yi Sang and Koo were close, often spending time together at 'Ugodang,' Koo's studio and office, as coworkers. Yi Sang frequently drew pictures there. When Yi Sang was struggling with a series of business failures, Koo got him a job at a publishing company, Changmunsa, founded by his father in 1935. Koo Bon-Woong painted his friend Yi Sang in a well-known work called "Portrait of a Friend" (우인상).^{[22] [23]}

Yi Sang's Lovers

In Yi Sang's poetry, women appear in various forms, but they commonly exhibit behaviors of fleeing from or becoming disconnected from the poetic speaker. This reflects Yi Sang's feelings of anxiety and alienation in his relationships with women. In his poems, women are always drifting away, leaving the speaker with a sense of loss and loneliness. This portrayal poetically expresses the complex relationships and inner conflicts Yi Sang experienced. The motifs of women in Yi Sang's poetry can be largely identified as three figures: Geum-Hong, Kwon Soon-ok, and Byeon Dong-lim. Particularly, women modeled after Geum-Hong tend to flee from the poetic speaker. Ultimately, the women depicted by Yi Sang can be interpreted as symbols of his deep-seated loneliness and sense of disconnection.

Geum-Hong (錦紅)

In 1933, 23-year-old Yi Sang first encountered Geum-Hong, who was a kisaeng (기생; 妓生), during a trip to Baechon Hot Springs (배천온천; 白川温泉) to recuperate from tuberculosis. They developed a romantic relationship and managed a coffee house called 'Jebi' on Jong-no 1st Street, Gyeongseong. Yi Sang designated Geum-Hong as the manager of the coffee house, and they lived together for an estimated two years. However, their relationship was tumultuous due to financial difficulties. Geum-Hong frequently stayed out, and Yi Sang would lash out at her by mentioning her previous life as a kisaeng. As a result, she would physically beat him and often run away from home, leading to their eventual breakup. Consequently, in September 1935, the coffee house Jebi closed down.

Their love story is depicted in Yi Sang's novel, 'Bongbyeolgi' (봉별기; 逢別記), which means 'A Story of Meeting and Parting'. Geum-Hong is also implicitly portrayed in his short story 'The Wings' (날개) under the name Yeon-shim-i (연심이), her real name. Furthermore, Yi Sang's poems reveal the dynamics between him and Geum-Hong. In the poems "危篤:追求" and "明鏡", Geum-Hong is always trying to escape from Yi Sang, which fills him with sorrow each time. However, in the poem "ㆍ素ㆍ榮ㆍ爲ㆍ題ㆍ" and the novel "The Wings", despite his sadness, Yi Sang does not deeply dwell on Geum-Hong's acts of infidelity and prostitution. These aspects highlight the unique nature of their relationship.

Gwon Sun-ok

After the failure of the coffeehouse Jebi, Yi Sang took over the café 'Tsuru' (Hangul: 쓰루, Kanji: 鶴) by mortgaging his parents' house. He recruited Kwon Soon-ok, who had worked as a waitress at another café, 'Angel'. Kwon Soon-ok was highly educated and had broad interactions with other writers, such as Jeong In-taek. While Yi Sang fell for her, their romantic relationship never fully developed. Jeong In-taek had a secret crush on her, leading to a love triangle. Jeong In-taek even attempted suicide to win her favor, and after this incident, Kwon Soon-ok and Jeong In-taek married. Ironically, Yi Sang presided over their wedding ceremony. Following Jeong In-taek's death, Kwon Soon-ok remarried Park Tae-won.^[5]

Byeon Dong-rim (卞東琳)

Byeon Dong-rim (변동림), a writer introduced to Yi Sang by Gu Bon-woong, became his wife. Yi Sang and Byeon Dong-rim met in 1936 through this introduction. Only three months into their marriage, Yi Sang left for Tokyo alone, where his health sharply deteriorated. He was transferred to Tokyo Imperial University Hospital in a severe state, worsened by a sudden arrest. Upon hearing the news, Byeon Dong-rim traveled to Tokyo within two days. After just four months of marriage, Yi Sang passed away in her presence.

Their feelings towards each other can be traced through Yi Sang's "Tokyo" (Donggyeong; 동경; 東京) and Byeon Dong-rim's "Moonlight Heart" (월하의 마음; 月下의 마음). According to Byeon Dong-rim's essay "Moonlight Heart," shortly before his death, Yi Sang reportedly said he wanted to eat "Senbikiya's melon." Byeon Dong-rim went to buy the melon to fulfill Yi Sang's final request, but sadly, Yi Sang did not get to eat it.

In later years, Byeon Dong-rim reflected on Yi Sang's death, stating, "He lived a most brilliant, enchanted life. The 27 years he spent on this earth were enough time for a genius to fully blossom and then fade away."^[5]

Work

Yi Sang is renowned as perhaps the most famous avant-garde writer of the colonial era. His work experiments with language, interiority, and the separation from oneself and the external world. His poetry, in particular, was influenced by Western literary concepts such as Dadaism and Surrealism. Yi's background in architecture also influenced his work, often incorporating the languages of mathematics and architecture, including lines, dots, number systems, equations, and diagrams.^[24]

His literary legacy is marked by his modernist tendencies, evident throughout his body of work. His poems reveal the desolate internal landscape of modern humanity. For example, “Crow's Eye View Poem No. 1” (Ogamdo si je1ho) uses an anti-realist technique to condense themes of anxiety and fear. His stories dismantle traditional fiction forms to depict the conditions of modern life. “Wings” (Nalgae), for instance, employs a stream-of-consciousness technique to express the alienation of modern individuals, who are fragmented commodities unable to connect with quotidian realities.^[10]

Yi Sang did not receive much recognition for his writing during his lifetime. However, his works began to be reprinted in the 1950s. His reputation soared in the 1970s, and the Yi Sang Literary Award was established in 1977. In 2007, he was listed by the Korean Poets' Association among the ten most important modern Korean poets. ^[25] His most famous short story is "The Wings" ("Nalgae", Korean: 날개), and his poem "Crow's-Eye View" is also well-known.

Yi Sang's works are complex and often use ambiguous expressions, sometimes employing words that do not conform to conventional grammar. Most of his early poems (including those published in "Joseon and Architecture" (朝鮮と建築), believed to be written until 1932) and parts of his Posthumous Note were written in Japanese. The translations may not fully capture the intended meaning of Yi Sang's original works. Therefore, to analyze his works accurately, it is preferable to understand them through the original texts rather than translations.

Work Timeline

In 1930, he serialized his first literature work (a medium-length novel) "December 12th (hanja: 十二月 十二日, hangul: 십이월십이일)" on the Korean version of the magazine Joseon (hanja: 朝鮮, hangul: 조선), which was a magazine issued by the Government-General of Korea (hangul: 조선총독부, hanja: 朝鮮總督府) to promote their colony policies.^[6]

In 1931, he released several Japanese poems. On July 1931, he released six Japanese poems together on Joseon and Architecture; A Strange Reversible Reaction (Japanese: 異常ナ可逆反應, hangul: 이상한가역반응), The Scenery of Broken Parts (Japanese: 破片ノ景色, hangul: 파편의경치), The Amusement of ▽ (Japanese: ▽ノ遊戯, hangul: ▽의 유희), The Beard (Japanese: ひげ, hangul: 수염), BOITEUX · BOITEUSE, and The Empty Stomach (Japanese: 空腹, hangul: 공복).^[6]

On August 1931, he released a set of eight Japanese poems under the name "Bird's-Eye View" (Japanese: 鳥瞰圖, hangul: 조감도) on Joseon and Architecture. The title of each poem is "Two People ····1····" (Japanese: 二人····1····, hangul: 이인····1····), "Two People ····2····" (Japanese: 二人····2····, hangul: 이인····2····), "A Nervously Obese Triangle" (Japanese: 神経質に肥満した三角形, hangul: 신경질적으로비만한삼각형), "LE URINE", "Face" (Japanese: 顔, hangul: 안 or 얼굴), "Movement" (Japanese: 運動, hangul: 운동), "Confession of A Crazy Woman" (Japanese: 狂女の告白, hangul: 광녀의고백), "Entertainment Angel" (Japanese: 興行物天使, hangul: 흥행물천사).^[6]

On October 1931, he released a set of seven Japanese poems under the name "Three-Dimensional Angle Blueprint" (Japanese: 三次角設計圖, hangul: 삼차각설계도). The title of each poem is "Memorandum on the Line 1" (Japanese: 線に関する覚書１, hangul: 선에관한각서1), ···, and "Memorandum on the Line 7". This set of poems has many scientific terms and concepts, such as spectrum, speed of light, and time travelling.^[6]

On March and April 1932, he released two Korean novels "Darkroom of a Map" (hanja: 地圖의暗室, hangul: 지도의암실) and "Suspension of Business and Circumstances" (hanja: 休業과事情, hangul: 휴업과사정) on the magazine Joseon. He used different pen names on these two pieces; Bigu (hanja: 比久, hangul: 비구) for the former and Bosan (hanja: 甫山, hangul: 보산) for the latter.^[6]

On July 1932, he released a set of seven Japanese poems under the name "Building Infinite Hexahedral Bodies" (Japanese: 建築無限六面角體, hangul: 건축무한육면각체). The title of each poem is "AU MAGASIN DE NOUVEAUTES", "Rough Map Under Heat No.2" (Japanese: 熱下略圖 No.2, hangul: 열하약도 No. 2), "Diagnosis 0:1" (Japanese: 診断 0:1, hangul: 진단 0:1), "Twenty-two years" (Japanese:二十二年, hangul: 이십이년), "The Publication Law" (Japanese: 出版法, hangul: 출판법), "Departure of Mr. Cha 8" (Japanese:且８氏の出発, hangul: 차8씨의출발), "Midday―Some ESQUISSE―" (Japanese: 真昼―或るESQUISSE―, hangul: 대낮―어떤ESQUISSE―).^[6]

In 1933, he released following Korean poems: "A Flower Tree" (꽃나무), "This Kind of Poem" (이런시), "Mirror" (거울).^[6]

In 1934, he released following Korean poems and essays: "보통기념", "Three states of blood calligraphy"(hanja:血書三態, hangul:혈서삼태), "Crow's-Eye View" (오감도; 烏瞰圖), "지팡이 역사", "소영위제", "산책의 가을". "혈서삼태" is a set of five essays. The title of each essay of "혈서삼태" is "오스카 와일드", "관능 위조", "하이드 씨", "악령의 감상", "혈서기삼". "오감도" is a set of 15 poems (originally designed to be 30, but was quit in the middle because of a massive complaint from readers). The title of each poem of "오감도" is "The 1st Poem" (詩第一號, 시제일호), ···, "The 15th Poem" (詩第十五號, 시제십오호) and three of them have additional title; "The 8th Poem Dissection" (詩第八號 解剖, 시제팔호 해부), "The 9th Poem Gun Muzzle" (詩第八號 銃口, 시제팔호 총구), "The 10th Poem Butterfly" (詩第十號 나비, 시제십호 나비). Some of "Crow's-Eye View" poems parodied his early Japanese works "Building Infinite Hexahedral Bodies".^[6]

From 1935 to his death in 1937, he released more than 20 literature pieces, including poems and essays. After his death, from 1937 to 1939, 16 of his posthumous works were released, including poems, essays, and novels. In 1956, nine more Japanese poems were found and their Korean translations were released.^[26] In the following years, more draft notes in Japanese, which are almost certainly thought to be Yi Sang's for several reasons, were found, and they were translated into Korean and introduced from 1960 to 1976.^[6]

Since 1960, a total of 26 works by Yi Sang have been discovered. Of these, 25 were published from Yi Sang’s posthumous manuscripts acquired by critic Jo Yeon-hyeon. Regarding the discovery process, Jo Yeon-hyeon explained, "Some time ago, a student named Lee Yeon-bok from the night school at Hanyang University brought an old notebook to me. Although it was my first time meeting him, it was immediately evident that he was a literary enthusiast and particularly fond of Yi Sang. The notebook he presented was a draft book of Yi Sang's Japanese poems. Lee had found this notebook while visiting the house of his friend, Kim Jong-sun, who runs a furniture store. Kim’s older brother had acquired the notebook, which had been used as waste paper, from an acquaintance who owned an antiquarian bookstore. About 90% of the roughly 100-page notebook was already damaged, with only about 10% remaining intact. Although Lee Yeon-bok was not proficient in Japanese, he was intrigued by the characters written in the notebook. He obtained the notebook and, after comparing it with various sources, including <李箱全集>, he surmised that it was an unpublished manuscript by Yi Sang and brought it to me."

Work Timeline Table

Poem

Series Title	No.	Title	Year	Publisher	Language
	1	異常ナ可逆反應(Original Text)	1931	朝鮮と建築 July	Japanese
	2	破片ノ景色(Original Text)
	3	▽ノ遊戯(Original Text)
	4	ひげ (李箱)(Original Text)
	5	BOITEUXㆍBOITEUSE(Original Text)
	6	空腹
鳥瞰圖	7-1	二人····1····		朝鮮と建築 August
	7-2	二人····2····
	7-3	神経質に肥満した三角形
	7-4	LE URINE
	7-5	顔
	7-6	運動
	7-7	狂女の告白
	7-8	興行物天使
三次角設計図(Original Text)	8-1	線に関する覚書１		朝鮮と建築 October
	8-2	線に関する覚書２
	8-3	線に関する覚書３
	8-4	線に関する覚書４
	8-5	線に関する覚書５
	8-6	線に関する覚書６
	8-7	線に関する覚書７
建築無限六面角体(Original Text)	9-1	AU MAGASIN DE NOUVEAUTES	1932	朝鮮と建築 July
	9-2	熱河略図 No.2
	9-3	診断　０：１
	9-4	二十二年
	9-5	出版法
	9-6	且８氏の出発
	9-7	真昼――或るESQUISSE――
	10	꽃나무	1933	가톨닉靑年 July	Korean (Hangul)
	11	이런시		가톨닉靑年 July
	12	一九三三, 六, 一		가톨닉靑年 July
	13	거울		가톨닉靑年 October
	14	보통기념	1934	월간매신 July
烏瞰圖	15-1	詩題一號		朝鮮中央日報 7.24
	15-2	詩題二號		朝鮮中央日報 7.25
	15-3	詩題三號		朝鮮中央日報 7.25
	15-4	詩題四號		朝鮮中央日報 7.28
	15-5	詩題五號		朝鮮中央日報 7.28
	15-6	詩題六號		朝鮮中央日報 7.31
	15-7	詩題七號		朝鮮中央日報 8.2
	15-8	詩題八號 解剖		朝鮮中央日報 8.3
	15-9	詩題九號 銃口		朝鮮中央日報 8.3
	15-10	詩題十號 나비		朝鮮中央日報 8.3
	15-11	詩題十一號		朝鮮中央日報 8.4
	15-12	詩題十二號		朝鮮中央日報 8.4
	15-13	詩題十三號		朝鮮中央日報 8.7
	15-14	詩題十四號		朝鮮中央日報 8.7
	15-15	詩題十五號		朝鮮中央日報 8.8
	16	素榮爲題		中央 September
	17	정식	1935	가톨닉靑年 April
	18	紙碑		朝鮮中央日報 9.15
	19	紙碑-어디갔는지모르는안해	1936	中央 January
易斷	20-1	火爐		가톨닉靑年 February
	20-2	아츰
	20-3	家庭
	20-4	易斷
	20-5	行路
	21	街外街傳		詩와小說
	22	明鏡		女聲 May
危篤	23-1	禁制		朝鮮日報 10.4
	23-2	追求		朝鮮日報 10.4
	23-3	沈歿		朝鮮日報 10.4
	23-4	絶壁		朝鮮日報 10.6
	23-5	白晝		朝鮮日報 10.6
	23-6	門閥		朝鮮日報 10.6
	23-7	位置		朝鮮日報 10.8
	23-8	買春		朝鮮日報 10.8
	23-9	生涯		朝鮮日報 10.8
	23-10	內部		朝鮮日報 10.9
	23-11	肉親		朝鮮日報 10.9
	23-12	自傷		朝鮮日報 10.9
	24	I WED A TOY BRIDE		三四文學 October

Long Novel

No.	Title (English Title)	Year	Publisher	Language	Remarks
1	十二月 十二日 (December 12)	1930	朝鮮 February - December	Korean (Hangul)	First work

Short Novel

No.	Title (English Title)	Year	Publisher	Language	Remarks
1	地圖의 暗室 (Darkroom of a Map)	1932	朝鮮 March	Korean (Hangul)	With pen name '比久'[27]
2	休業과 事情 (Shutdown & Reasons)		朝鮮 April
3	지팽이 轢死	1934	月刊每申 March
4	鼅鼄會豕 (Ji-Ju-Whoe-Shi)	1936	中央 June		The title means "two spiders that met a pig"[28]
5	날개 (Wings)		朝光 September
6	逢別記 (Bongbyeolgi)		女性 December		The Title means "a writing of meet and separate"
7	童骸 (Child's Remains)	1937	朝光 February
8	황소와 도깨비 (The Bull and the Goblin)		每日申報 March 5–9		Fable / Fairy tale
9	終生記		朝光 May
10	幻視記 (Record of Illusions)	1938	靑色紙 June
11	失花 (Flower Loss)	1939	文章 March
12	斷髮 (Hair Cut)		朝鮮 April
13	金裕貞 (Kim Yu Jeong)		靑色紙 May

Posthumously published work

No.	Title (English Title)	Year	Publisher	Language	Remarks
1	破帖 (Torn Notebook)	1937	子午線 October	Korean (Hangul)
2	(無題)	1938	貘(第3號) October		No title
3	(無題) (기이)		貘(第4號) October		No title (Publications are arbitrarily entitled 「理由以前」)
4	蜻蛉 (Dragonfly)	1940	乳色の雲	Japanese
5	一つの夜 (A Night)
6	隻脚 (One Leg)	1956	李箱全集
7	距離(女去りし場合) (Distance (in case of leaving a woman))
8	囚人の作った箱庭 (A Prisoner's Garden)
9	肉親の章 (Family Chapter)
10	内科 (Internal Medicine)
11	骨片ニ関スル無題 (No Title Related to Bone Fragments)
12	街衢ノ寒サ(Street's Cold)
13	朝 (Morning)
14	最後 (Last)
15	(無題)	1960	現代文學 November
16	1931年(Work No.1)
17	얼마 안되는 변해
18	(無題)
19	(無題)
20	이 아해들에게 장난감을 주라		現代文學 December
21	모색
22	(無題)
23	구두 (Shoes)	1961	新東亞 Jenuary
24	어리석은 석반		現代文學 Jenuary
25	습작 쇼오윈도우 수점		現代文學 February
26	(無題)	1966	現代文學 July
27	애야
28	회한의 장	1976	文學思想 June
29	단장		文學思想 July
30	첫번째 방랑
31	불행한 계승
32	객혈의 아침
33	황의 기(Work No.2)
34	Work No.3(작품 제3번)
35	與田準一
36	月原橙一郞
37	공포의 기록(서장)	1986	文學思想 October
38	공포의 성채
39	야색
40	단상
41	낙랑 파라의 새로움(The Newness of Nakrang Para)	2000	韓國文學硏究

Letter, Magazine, etc.

No.	Title	Year	Publisher	Language	Remarks
1	동생 옥희 보아라	1936	中央 September		Letter to send his sister Kim Ohk-he(金玉姬)
2	김기림에게 2				Letter to send Kim Ki-rim
3	김기림에게 3
4	김기림에게 4
5	김기림에게 5
6	김기림에게 6
7	김기림에게 7
8	김기림에게 8
9	안필승(안회남)에게				Letter to send Ahn Hoenam (安懷南)
10	남동생 김운경에게				Letter to send his brother Kim Un-gyeong(金雲卿)
11	巻頭言1	1932	朝鮮と建築 June	Japanese	Presumed to be Yi Sang's work while participating in the magazine's editing
12	巻頭言2		朝鮮と建築 July
13	巻頭言3		朝鮮と建築 August
14	巻頭言4		朝鮮と建築 September
15	巻頭言5		朝鮮と建築 October
16	巻頭言6		朝鮮と建築 November
17	巻頭言7		朝鮮と建築 December
18	巻頭言8	1933	朝鮮と建築 May
19	巻頭言9		朝鮮と建築 June
20	巻頭言10		朝鮮と建築 July
21	巻頭言11		朝鮮と建築 August
22	巻頭言12		朝鮮と建築 October
23	巻頭言13		朝鮮と建築 November
24	巻頭言14		朝鮮と建築 December
25	Aphorism	1936	詩와 小說(Poetry and Novel) March
		1939	文章 July
		-	京城高等工業 專門學校 Photo album
26	낙서 (Scribble)	1978	李箱詩全作集 Art book	Japanese	It is in the pictorial of the 全集(2). It reads, "Yi Sang's scribbles on the wall of Nakrang(낙랑). He soothes his anger here by drinking a drink." 'Nakrang(낙랑)' means a cafe called 'Nakrang Para(낙랑파라).' It also appears in the essay "The Newness of Nakrang Para(낙랑파라의 새로움)."
27	낙서 (Scribble)	1976	讀書生活 November		It is carried with Yi Sang's self-portrait on the inner cover of Jules Renard's 「The Power Notebook」. It was introduced by Im Jong-guk(임종국).

Essay

No.	Title	Year	Publisher	Language	Remarks
1	血書三態	1934	新女性 June
2	산책의 가을 (The autumn of a walk)		新東亞 October
3	현대미술의 요람 (The cradle of modern art)	1935	每日新報 March 14th ~ March 23th
4	山村餘情		每日新報 September 27th ~ October 11th
5	배의 역사 (船の歴史) (The history of ships)		新兒童 October	Japanese
6	문학을 버리고 문화를 상상할 수 없다(Can't imagine culture without literature)	1936	朝鮮中央日報 January 6th
7	나의 애송시 (My favorite poem)		中央 January
8	논단시감		朝鮮日報 January 24th ~ January 28th
9	西望栗島		朝光 March
10	早春點描		每日新報 March 3nd ~ March 26th
11	편집후기		詩와 小說(Poetry and Novel) March
12	女像四題		女性 April
13	내가 좋아하는 화초와 내 집의 화초		朝光 May
14	약수		中央 July
15	EPIGRAM		女性 August
16	아름다운 조선말		中央 September
17	행복		女性 October
18	가을의 探勝處		朝光 October
19	秋橙雜筆		每日新報 October 14th ~ October 28th
20	십구세기식	1937	三四文學 April
21	공포의 기록		每日新報 April 25th ~ May 15th
22	권태		朝鮮日報 May 4th ~ May 11th
23	슬픈이야기		文章 June
24	오감도 작자의 말		文章 June		According to Park Tae-won(박태원)'s eulogy [Yi Sang's flagella(이상의 片貌], "It was written because 30 series of「烏瞰圖」 were discontinued into 15 series. It was not announced at the time."
25	문학과 정치	1938	四海公論 July
26	실락원	1939	朝光 February
27	병상 이후		靑色紙 May
28	東京		文章 May
29	最低樂園		朝鮮文學 May

Works in translation

• Yi Sang: Selected Works (translated by Don Mee Choi, Jack Jung, Joyelle McSweeney, and Sawako Nakayasu), Seattle and New York: Wave Books, 2020. ISBN 9781950268085.
• The Wings, Seoul: Jimoondang Publishing, 2001. ISBN 89-88095-50-2.
• Three Poets of Modern Korea: Yi Sang, Hahm Dong-seon, and Choi Young-mi, Louisville: Sarabande Books, 2002. ISBN 1-889330-71-X
• Yi Sang, "Wings," translated by Walter K. Lew, in Modern Korean Fiction: An Anthology, eds. Bruce Fulton and Youngmin Kwon. NY: Columbia University Press, 2005. ISBN 0-231-13513-0
• Yi Sang, 20 poems, translated from the Korean by Walter K. Lew, from the Japanese by Edward Mark, in The Columbia Anthology of Modern Korean Poetry, ed. David R. McCann. NY: Columbia University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-231-11129-0
• Meetings and farewells : Modern Korean stories, Chong-wha Chung St Lucia QLD: University of Queensland Press, 1980. ISBN 0702215538^[29]
• The Wings : eBook I-AHN CREATIVE, 2015. ISBN 89-98659-02-6.^[30]

Works in Korean

Short stories

• The Wings (1936) First published in literary magazine Jogwang, Sep. 1936 (issue 11)
• Ji-Ju-Whoe-Shi
• Bongbyeolgi
• Shutdown & Reasons

Essays

• Lingering Impressions of a aMountain Village - a Few Paragraphs from a Journal of Travels to Seongcheon (1976) In Azalea, issue 2, p .331.
• 《Ennui》
• 《The First Wander》

Poems

• <A Flower Tree>
• <This Kind of Poem>

• <Mirror>
• <BOITEUX·BOITEUSE> (《朝鮮と建築 (Joseon and Architecture)》1931.07)
• <Architectural infinite hexahedron(Subtitle: French: AU MAGASIN DE NOUVEAUTES)>
• <Movement (운동, (運動)> (Poem included in series poetries "Aerial views (조감도, 鳥瞰圖)")

Fairy Tales

• <The Bull and the Goblin> (March 8, 1937)

Collections

• Collected Works of Yi Sang (1956, 1977, 1991)

Yi Sang and education

In many of Yi Sang's works, there is information related to physics. However, given the historical background, it was difficult for Joseon people to learn advanced knowledge. During the time of Yi Sang's work, Joseon was under Japanese control, and to control Joseon, the Japanese government provided educational opportunities for Koreans based on the following educational philosophy.

"The primary goal of colonial education should be the widespread use of the native language (Japanese), and higher education should be limited to unemployment training to produce technicians...The basis for this is to prevent the self-awareness of the colonized people" - 『Education in Joseon (1923)』[2](p.52)

In other words, by suppressing advanced education, they prevented the production of intelligent people and thus "controlled the opportunity to develop the ability to think and act for themselves."

However, even these restrictions couldn't stop the passion for education among Koreans, and thus the Gyeongseong Technical College (equivalent to today's Seoul National University of Science and Technology, and today's Seoul National University is the top university in Korea) emerged. Of course, the percentage of Joseon people was not high, but Yi Sang was one of them.

Yi Sang was the seventh graduate of Kyungsung Technical College. One of the reasons why Gyeongseong Technical College is important is that in the first volume of "Gongwoo," a magazine created by graduates of the school, there is an article titled "Light has weight," which contains the relativity theory of Einstein. In other words, you can see how he came to know relativity, and in fact, there are many pieces in his works that imply that he knew relativity.

There are many other ways that Yi Sang could have learned about relativity in addition to the magazine Gongwoo. Relativity was a very hot topic in Joseon at that time, and lectures on the topic were often given, so it must have been quite accessible to an intelligent person like him.^[31]On November 14, 1922, and November 18, 1922, Hwang Jin-nam published a column in the <Dong-A Ilbo> introducing Einstein and the theory of relativity.
On August 22, 1928, <Joong-Woe Ilbo>, "Teach the Theory of Relativity."
etc...

However, it is quite cautious to assume that Yi Sang knew about 'quantum mechanics' . While it is certain that relativity appeared in Yi Sang's works, and it is almost definite that he knew about it, however, the same cannot be said for 'quantum mechanics'.

Quantum mechanics was first introduced to Joseon in 1936 in an article by Do Sang-rok, published in the monthly magazine "Jogwang"(1936. 03., 04., 월간지《조광》, 도상록). His article is an introduction to the causality, which is important in quantum mechanics. However, most of Yi's works were written before this article, so it is doubtful that Yi Sang was familiar with quantum mechanics. However, while quantum mechanics was not well studied in Joseon at this time, there were many more physicists in Japan than in Joseon, so it can be assumed that it was studied a lot in Japan, and that there was a lot of material written in Japanese.

Given that he was fluent in Japanese and read many Japanese-language magazines, it is quite possible that he learned about quantum mechanics from Japanese-language sources.

Therefore, when interpreting his work, it is worth considering not only relativity, but also quantum mechanics.

Cultural Content with Yi Sang Motif

Yi Sang, a notable modernist writer from Korea, has inspired numerous contemporary cultural works across various media, including video games, musicals, music, and movies.

Movie: The Mystery of the Cube (건축무한육면각체의 비밀)

Movie trailers

Movies about the Yi Sang There are two main types of movies about Yi Sang. The first is the realistic portrayal of his life, such as "Geum Hong-ah Geum Hong-ah" and "Yi Sang's Wings". The second is movies based on his poems or novels.

The 1999 film The Mystery of the Cube, directed by Yoo Sang-wook, revolves around the enigmatic poem "The Architectural Infinite Hexagon (建築無限六面角體)." The narrative commences with a PC communication group designated the "MAD Yi Sang Club." The five members, including the club's president, Deok-hee, are concerned about the lack of information about Ibsen's activities between 1931 and 1933. In response, they wrote a series of novels entitled "The Mystery of the Cube," in which they fictionalized his participation in the design of a gold coffer factory by the Japanese military during this period. The novel garners considerable attention from internet users, but one by one, the members of the club mysteriously die, and the president, Deok-hee, goes missing. The two remaining members, Yongmin and Tae-Kyung, use Yi Sang's poetry to track down clues to locate Deok-hee. Through their investigation, they discern that Lee was the architect of the gold coffin factory as described in the novel and that he was a member of the "Z-Backhoe" assassination group that unsuccessfully attempted to take out Natsuo Hayashi. Yi encoded his experiences into a poem and concealed it, and Park Chung-hee organized a new Z-Back Tiger team, but the assassination failed again. Natsuo Hayashi sought immortality and world domination through the body of survivor Kim Sung-bum. Yong-min and Tae-kyung track him down and discover the secret factory where Deok-hee is imprisoned in the underground construction site of the National Museum (formerly the Joseon Governorate building). They destroy the giant iron pile that Natsuo had erected. Deok-hee commits suicide alongside Kim Sung-bum, and the case comes to a dramatic conclusion. In the process, idealized poetic imagery and historical imagination intersect, creating an intriguing narrative.

Movie: The Wings of Lee Sang (이상의 날개)

The movie <The Wings of Lee Sang>, released in 1968, is a 59-minute romance short film produced by the Korean Art Film Company. The film was directed by Choi In-hyeon and features actors Shin Sung-il, Nam Jeong-im, Moon hee and Choi Bul-am.

Summary: Yi Sang (Shin Seong-il), who lives with gisaeng Geum-hong (Nam Jeong-im), has to pass by his wife's room to get to his own. His wife is often with other men. Meanwhile, beside Yi Sang is Jeonghee (Moon hee). Jeong-hee, who lives in the same house as her, admires her ideals and tries to give her comfort and rest. He writes poetry, but suffers from not being understood. Sang-sang lives in extreme agony between Geum-hong and Jeong-hee, between reality and fantasy.

Movie: My dear KeumHong(Geumhong-a Geumhong-a) (금홍아 금홍아)

The Movie <My dear KeumHong(Geumhong-a Geumhong-a)>, released in 1995, is a 96-minute feature film produced by Taeheung Film Company. Directed by Kim Yoo-jin, the film stars Kim Kap-soo, Kim Soo-chul, Lee Ji-eun, and Yoon Jeong-bin.

Summary: In 1932, Bonwoong returns to Korea after studying in Japan and meets the young poet Yi Sang at his successful homecoming exhibition, where Bonwoong is acclaimed as a Fauvist artist. The two men become close companions, engaging in various eccentric escapades. They travel to Baekcheon in Hwanghae Province for Yi Sang's health, where they both fall into a crude, licentious, yet heartrending love with a woman named Keumhong. While Bonwoong secretly harbors feelings for Keumhong, he can only watch as she engages in bizarre romantic interactions with Yi Sang. After returning to Gyeongseong, Yi Sang remains unable to forget Keumhong and sets her up with a teahouse in Seoul, allowing them to share some tender moments together. However, Yi Sang faces a literary crisis due to his work <烏瞰圖>, and Keumhong was trying to save the coffee shop, leaving after a big fight with him. After Keumhong leaves, Yi Sang's eccentricities intensify. When they eventually reunite, they part ways again, bearing irreparable emotional scars. In his middle age, Bonwoong informs Keumhong of Yi Sang's death long ago in Tokyo and delivers his keepsakes to her.

Video Game: Limbus Company

"Limbus Company," developed by Project Moon, is a role-playing game that features a character named Yi Sang. This character is directly inspired by the real-life poet and embodies the enigmatic and avant-garde spirit of the original author. In the game, Yi Sang is portrayed as a talented architect, mirroring the author's real-life career as an architectural engineer during the colonial period. The character’s dialogues often reference Yi Sang’s poems, such as "The Wings" and "Mirror," reflecting the profound themes of time and existence found in his works.

- Nine People Association in "Limbus Company"

The Nine People Association in the game "Limbus Company" is inspired by the real-life literary group Nine People Association. Several characters in the game are modeled after historical figures who were part of the original group, including those who engaged in pro-Japanese activities like Yu Chi-jin and Park Tae-won, who appear as antagonists. Each character's name in the game is derived from the pseudonyms, pen names, or works of these historical figures. Just as the original Nine People Association was a gathering of literature enthusiasts who wrote poetry together, the in-game Nine People Association is a group of science enthusiasts exploring various technologies. In contrast to the politically inclined Korean Proletarian Artist Federation, which pursued literature with a political agenda, the real Nine People Association sought pure art for the sake of literature. Similarly, the in-game Nine People Association pursues pure technological research while evading the oppression of corporations aiming to monopolize technology. The characters within the game are inspired by members of the historical Nine People Association.

Dongrang:

Dongrang, inspired by the pen name of playwright Yu Chi-jin, is a character in the game who betrays the Nine People Association to a corporation, leading to its dissolution and subsequently joining the corporation himself. In the game, Dongrang's motivation stems from witnessing his own dreams shatter while his peers in the association pursued their ideals. This mirrors the real Yu Chi-jin, who, facing severe censorship by Japanese authorities, eventually succumbed and adapted to the colonial regime. Yu Chi-jin founded the Modern Theatre in 1941 and staged pro-Japanese plays. His works, which originally depicted rural life in Korea, shifted towards romanticism that escaped from real-world issues.

Dongbaek:

Dongbaek, named after the camellia flower from Kim Yu-jeong's "The Camellia," is a character modeled after the poet Kim Yu-jeong. In the game, following the dissolution of the Nine People Association, Dongbaek becomes an extreme figure seeking to destroy all current technology to recapture the pure passion of the association's earlier days. Although Kim Yu-jeong's poetry does not explicitly reveal this, the real Kim Yu-jeong exhibited extreme behavior. As the seventh child in a large family, he lost his mother at a young age and was abandoned by his married sisters, leading to severe emotional deprivation and an obsession with women. He became infatuated with the famous singer Park Nok-ju, following her persistently and sending threatening letters written in blood. He never let go of his obsession with her until his death. This obsession is reflected in the game as a fixation on the past.

Musical: Smoke

The musical "Smoke," produced by Double K Entertainment, draws inspiration from Yi Sang's poem "Ogamdo." It explores the lives of three characters who represent different facets of Yi Sang’s persona. The musical's narrative and lyrics include direct references to Yi Sang’s literary works, and it delves into the psychological and existential struggles depicted in his writings.^[32]

Smoke

Production company	Double K Entertainment
Director	Choo Jung-Hwa
Write the words	Choo Jung-Hwa
Composing	Heo soo-hyun
Performance	Tryout: 2016.12.16~2016.12.22 1st: 2017.03.18~2017.05.28 2nd: 2018.04.24~2018.07.15 3rd: 2020.12.04~2020.12.06. / 2020.12.22 ~ 2021.03.07 4th: 2023.11.15~2024.02.04.
Playtime	110 minutes
Theme	About three egos by Yi Sang. Inspired by 「烏瞰圖 詩題十五號」. Synopsis
Characters	Cho(초, 超), Hae(해, 海), Hong(홍, 紅)

There is a master's thesis written by actor Lim Byung-geun, who played the role of 'Cho' in 'Smoke', in 2021. We can learn more about the interpretation of various perspectives on the world of work and the story of "Smoke" viewed as an actor.

Musical: Fan Letter

First released in 2016, <Fan Letter> is a 160-minute musical produced by Live. The song was written by Han Jae-eun and composed by Park Hyun-sook. Based on the 1930s-era anecdotes of genius writers "Yi Sang," "Kim Yoo-jung(김유정)," and "Guinhoe(구인회, 九人會)," depicts the love and art of writers of the time.

Musical: L'art reste

First released on September 6, 2022, <L'art reste> is a 110-minute musical produced by Hong Company. Kim Eun-young directed, Kim Han-sol wrote the lyrics, and Moon Hye-sung and Jung Hye-ji composed the song. "L'art reste" means "art remains" in French. It is a true story about a Western painter, Byeon Dong-rim, her first husband Yi Sang, and her second husband, Kim Hwan-ki. She realizes that she has become art after every moment with Yi Sang and Kim Hwan-ki.

Musical: Kkood bye, Yi Sang (꾿빠이, 이상)

First released in 2017, <Kkood bye, Yi Sang> is an immersive performance organized by the Seoul Arts Center. It is based on the original novel of the same name, <Kkood bye, Yi Sang>, and solves the mystery of his life and death, focusing on the authenticity of the "dead mask" left by Yi Sang. The play begins with Yi Sang opening his eyes in the emergency room of an affiliated hospital of the Tokyo Imperial University. Yi Sang finds people crying of mourning surrounding him, and wonders who he is and why he is lying here. He struggles to find the answer, but he meets many characters, but he feels that his existence is becoming increasingly ambiguous.

Music: Shin Haegyeong

Shin Haegyeong's YouTube Channel
Shin Haegyeong, a contemporary musician, frequently draws on Yi Sang’s literary themes in his music. His stage name and several album titles are direct references to Yi Sang's works. For instance, his name is taken from Yi Sang's real name, Kim Hae-kyung. His album "My Reversible Reaction" is inspired by Yi Sang’s poem "A Strange Reversible Reaction." At the end of the music video "And then", a phrase from Yi Sang's novel Bonbyeolgi, "속아도 꿈결, 속여도 꿈결" appears directly. His music often captures the melancholic and introspective tone of Yi Sang’s poetry, creating a modern dialogue with the poet’s legacy.

Drama: Yi Sang and more (이상 그 이상, 李箱 그 以上)

<Yi Sang and more> is the eighth installment of the 70-minute drama festival season 1, which aired on MBC from Nov. 28, 2013. The director is Choi Jung-kyu, actor Cho Seung-woo plays Yi Sang, and other actors such as Park Ha-sun, Jung Kyung-ho, and Han Sang-jin appear.

Technological Integration: Specialized GPT

A specialized GPT, trained on the works and life of Yi Sang, has been developed to provide detailed information about the cultural content with the Yi Sang motif. This AI referred to as "문화 컨텐츠 속 이상" (Yi Sang in Cultural Content), assists users in exploring Yi Sang’s literary contributions and their impact on modern media.

Study of Yi Sang

Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology(GIST) 'Yi Sang's Literature and Science' course, which is opened annually for undergraduate students by Division of liberal arts and sciences of the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology(GIST), aims to analyze the Yi Sang's literary works from the perspective of science. In this class, in addition to Korean, the Yi Sang text is created in old Korean, Chinese characters, Japanese, English, German, French, modified characters, coined words, and homonymy language play, and these parts are interpreted modernly. As many scientific elements have appeared in the Yi Sang's literary works, students analyze and discuss what those elements mean from a scientific perspective. They also investigates and presents the Yi Sang's biographical facts, the level of science education in Joseon in the 1920s and 30s, and contemporary writers and works mentioned in the Yi Sang text, and closely analyzes and discusses prose, novels, and poems left by Yi Sang. Through this class, a student at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology wrote a paper that logically interpreted the Yi Sang's "Building Infinite Hexahedral Bodies" and "Triple Angle blueprint" from the perspective of space-time design and architecture in four dimensions, causing a great stir in the literary world.

See also

• Yi Sang Literary Award

References

• Lee, Byung-Soo (2013). "A Study on the Expression of French and Hypermodernity in the Poetry of Yi Sang". French Culture and Arts Research. 45: 129–152.

• Kim, Jung-Soo (2007). "A Study on the Significance of the Lame Mirror in Yi Sang's Literature". Korean Modern Literature Research. 22: 145–174.

• Sung, In-Soo. "Yi Sang's "The Play of the △, 1" through the Texts ▽, △, 1: Contexts". Korean Language and Literature. 163: 455–488.

• Sung, In-Soo. "Interpretation of the Cross in Yi Sang's Poem "Boite · Boiteuse"". Korean Language and Literature. 166: 291–327.

• Kim, Dae-Woong; Lee, Sang-Ok. "A Study on the Temporal Consciousness in Yi Sang's Poetry". Eomunhak. 133: 305–329.

• Kwon, Hee-Cheol. "The Issue of Time in Yi Sang's Literature". Korean Modern Literature Research. 50: 149–185.

• Lew, Walter K.; Henry H. Em; et al. (April 1995). "Portfolio: Yi Sang (1910–1937)". Muae 1 (1). New York: Kaya: 70–149. ISBN 0702215538.

• Im Hon-yong (1996). "Yi Sang". In Korean Culture & Arts Foundation (ed.). Who's who in Korean literature. Seoul: Hollym. pp. 518–520. ISBN 1-56591-066-4.

External links

• Review of Wings at KTLIT
• (korean) Works related to Yi Sang at Wikisource
• Site of Yi Sang’s old house