• (The) Research of the performance art and culture
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• no.18
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• pp.347-377
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• 2009

This paper examines the tradition discourses in Korean modern drama of the late 19th and the early 20th. It focuses particularly on how key intellectuals differentiated the definition and interpreted 'Theater-Improvement' while they insisted on improving traditional performance. Tradition discourse focused on how to improve its contents of performances. There were three categories in discussion. First, Confucian intelligent insisted that traditional performance should be discarded, because it led to customs disorder among the public. Second, patriotic and progressive intellectuals led by Sin Chae-Ho(신채호) and Bak Yen-Sik(박은식), preferred the reformed content of traditional Korean performance dealing with historical heroes. in order to stimulate patriotism in the Korean. Third, Lee In-Jik(이인직) who had worked at a popular newspaper company in Japan tried to make 'New Theater' criticizing decayed officials and the stupid nation. He did not concern about the colonialism of Japan. In the late 19th and the early 20th in Korean modern drama history, tradition discourses faced different directions, dependent on their political positions, familiar foreign cultures, and their view on traditional cultures.