Textual and Visual Representations of the Korean War in North and South Korean Children’s Literature

Abstract

Since the division of the Korean peninsula, North and South Korea have told the story of war and division in fictional and historical narratives for children. This chapter compares North and South Korean textual and visual representations of the Korean War in children's magazines and books in order to show how narratives about the conflict have been transformed or maintained. In its examination of South Korean children's literature, it seeks to show how the narrative trend has changed from depicting the Korean Other as the demon-ised enemy to emphasising ethnic unity. It also demonstrates that the myth of innocence of the child in South Korea plays a central role in challenging anti-communist rhetoric. In comparison, the chapter demonstrates how North Korean children's literature adheres to an interpretation of the Korean War as a war of liberation, and considers the violent illustrations through the perspective of fascist aesthetics and political cartoons. Keywords:children's literature; fascist aesthetics; Korean War; North Korea; South Korea; textual representation; visual representation