POSTWAR KOREAN LITERATURE: A LITERARY REFLECTION OF NIHILISM AND DESPAIR

In the 1950s, post-Korean War literature deeply explored themes of human suffering, existentialism, and the meaninglessness of life. The negative impacts of the war and the dramatic shifts in Korean society were reflected in literary works through nihilism and existentialism. In these works, the protagonists, portraying their physical and mental scars, depict the futility of life, death, and the pain of humanity, shedding light on the social fractures of the time. This article analyzes the development of post-war Korean literature, the writers’ engagement with new philosophical movements, and their respective works