The First Modern Novel 'Hyeolui Nu' to Be Auctioned
Kobay Auction 'Traces of Life' Sent... Starting Price 100 Million
Shim Hun's 'Sangnoksoo' First Edition, Lee Seungman 'Spirit of Independence' Also
The book "Hyeolui Nu" by Lee In-jik (1862?1916), known as the first modern Korean novel, is going up for auction. The starting price is 100 million won.
Kobay Auction announced on the 22nd that 670 items, including the 1908 edition of "Hyeolui Nu," will be featured in the online auction "Traces of Life" held on the 28th. "Hyeolui Nu" depicts the tragic fate of seven-year-old Ok-ryeon, who lost her parents while fleeing during the Sino-Japanese War. It differs from classical novels in that it highlights modern tendencies by intertwining the harsh journey with foreign cultures such as those of Japan and the United States. The novel addresses various virtues needed during the enlightenment period, mainly focusing on the national consciousness for independence and anti-feudal ideas. Kobay Auction explained, "Although it is said that a reprint was made one year after the first edition was published, publication was banned immediately after the Japan-Korea Annexation, making surviving copies extremely rare."
The auction will also include the first edition of "Sangnok-su" by Shim Hun (1901?1936), published by Hanseong Book Company in 1936. The novel was serialized in the Dong-A Ilbo from 1935 to the following year. It centers on rural enlightenment during the Japanese colonial period. It contrasts the self-sacrificing service of activists who gave up worldly success with the inhumanity of selfish individuals, promoting nationalism, religious humanism, and a spirit of resistance.
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Kobay Auction is also seeking a new owner for "Doknip Jeongsin" ("The Spirit of Independence"), a representative work by former President Rhee Syngman (1875?1965). Written in prison during the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War in 1904 and published in the United States in 1910, the auction features a 1917 edition of the book. The starting price is 6 million won.
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