The significance of the new Korean poetry of the first half of the 20th century for the preservation of Korean national identity under the Japanese colonial rule is discussed. After the annexation in 1910, Korea beca me the source of cheap labor and a market for Japanese industrial products. The historical background of the three phases of Japanese policy towards Korea is outlined and the main tenets of the reform movement are characterized. The transition of the new poetry from aestheticism and escapism to the propagation of Korean values and the independence mo vement is described. The most conspicuous feature of the new poetry that emerged under the Japanese domination was the appearance of works which displayed the new sensibility and the national spirit of the Kore ans. This poetry had a wide popular appeal since it was no longer writ ten in Chinese characters, but in hangul, the native Korean alphabet invented in the years 1443-44 and considered to be one of the most supe rior systems of letters in the world. Although the new poetry never refer red directly to the Japanese oppression, it helped to develop nationalist sentiments and a modern consciousness of Koreans.
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