Miseon YOON

10.18399/acta.2023.26.2.007

Kim Suyŏng “Colossal Roots ” postcolonial translation enunciation third space

This article examines the poem “Colossal Roots” (거대한 뿌리, 1964) by Kim Suyŏng and his translation of selected passages from the book Korea and Her Neighbours (1897) by Isabella Bird Bishop. The analysis is from a postcolonial perspective, drawing upon Homi K. Bhabha’s concepts of the third space, enunciation, mimicry, and hybridity. The article argues that Kim’s work can be understood as an act of enunciation in the third space, as he questions and undermines the Orientalist prejudices that Bird promotes. Through mimicking Bird’s Orientalist gaze, he challenges and subverts the Orientalist stereotypes she perpetuates and situates himself in a space where the remnants of Japanese colonial rule, the new hegemonic power of the U.S., and North and South Korea converge. The article presents a fresh perspective on the controversy surrounding tradition and Orientalism, particularly examining the paradox inherent in the famous line from “Colossal Roots,” “Traditions, no matter how filthy, are good,” and the shift in perspective that Kim experiences during his translation of Korea and Her Neighbours.