Professor delves into the literature of a place he calls home

John Frankl

John Frankl is in love with Lee Sang, a celebrated Korean poet who died at the age of 27 during the Japanese colonial period.
To the 40-year-old American professor at Yonsei University, who probably has more knowledge about Korean literature than many Koreans, Lee’s works are shockingly fresh.
“These days, I have been translating Lee’s essay ‘Sanchonyeojeong’ from Korean to English. I realized that the era was a widely productive time, filled with literary works. People say the Japanese colonial period was a dark age but at least in terms of its literary works, it was not,” Frankl said.
The translated essay and his critique will be published in an academic journal of Harvard University.
Frankl first came to Korea in 1987 and earned his master’s degree in Korean literature at Yonsei University. He received a Ph.D. in East Asian language and civilizations at Harvard. For years, he has served as an assistant dean at Yonsei’s Underwood International College.
Frankl is married to a Korean woman with whom he has a daughter, and he is determined to stay in Korea. This semester, he is teaching six classes and working hard on his research. Recently he wrote a book titled “‘Our Country’: Changing Images of the Foreign in Korean Literature and Culture.” He wrote the book in English and then translated it into Korean with the help of acquaintances.
In the book, he analyzed the diverse images of foreign countries and people reflected in Korean literature, including Huh Kyoon’s “The Story of Hong Gil-dong” and Lee In-jik’s “Teardrops of Blood,” to see how Koreans considered foreigners back then.
“I was interested in how Korea perceived other countries. As I lived here, I had a thought that maybe nationalism had been taken advantage of politically,” Frankl said, referring to how politicians in the past exploited the nationalistic feelings of the people for their own gain. “So I did research and found out that there was no perspective distinguishing Korea from other countries based on a border before the opening of Korea [in the late 19th and early 20th centuries]. Instead, Koreans treated those who did not share the same culture as their enemies.”
He also pointed out outsiders’ distorted view of Korea. “Since modernization, foreigners called Korea a ‘Hermit Kingdom.’ But I think this was a very narrow-minded perspective. Look at Seoul’s streets now, how vibrant they are. Korean society is also rapidly changing. These aspects of the country do not match with the image of it as a Hermit Kingdom. The problem is that the wrong image of the country still has an influence,” Frankl said.
Frankl was born in Santa Cruz, California in the United States and majored in East Asian languages at the University of California, Berkeley. He chose to study Korean since he wanted to learn “the most foreign language.” This led him to study abroad in Korea.
“When I came here in 1987, there were street rallies everywhere. I saw President Roh Tae-woo announcing he would accept the demand for a direct vote in the presidential election live on TV.”
It was not easy to live as a foreigner here in Korea, he said.
“People stared at me and some even swore at me. That certainly has changed now. Everyone wants to talk to me.”

By Chun Su-jin Staff Reporter [sujiney@joongang.co.kr]