The purpose of this study is to take a review on Kim Ki-rim from the perspective of East Asian studies. In the 1930s, especially, Kim Ki-rim accepted the modernism of the West and at the same time took a critical view of Japan's Asianism. So far, discussions about Kim Ki Rim of the late 1930s have focused on his behavior at that time, that is, "resistance by silence". But this researcher would take such silence as a reflection of colonial modernity rather than as resistance like seen from the view of nationalism. In addition, the researcher would suggest that even some biographical facts like the poet's return to home and service as an English teacher were probably attributed to his deference of judgements about the Western modernism and Japan's Asianism. Thus what is more important here is to discuss what sort of modernism that Kim Ki-rim accepted was and how he later overcame it. And some signs that the poet attempted to accept pre-war Japanese ideas, for example, the theories of East Asian cooperation and the transcendence and overcoming of modernism and the philosophy of the world history are necessary to be carefully investigated. It is generally recognized that Kim Ki-rim was one of the most representative modernists in the history of Korean literature. As far as he is concerned, modernism was the destination to be pursued and at the same time the origin of crisis and the thing to be transcended and overcome. Anyway, it's no doubt that Kim Ki-rim positively accepted modernism. He thought of the acceptance like the most important exit. But he fell into a dilemma as Europe he saw as the very model of modernism came to a crisis after the 1st World War. He was envious of Europe, but felt confused about it. To transcend and overcome European modernism, however, Kim Ki-rim didn't go to Russian modern socialism unlike other intellects of the colony. For the poet, Europe was more than what was seen by way of Japan. At this point, the researcher could make two hypotheses. First, Kim Ki-rim tried to take Western modernism as a means of Japanese modernism, but in vain. He couldn't help moving to Japanese modernism. Second, European modernism was just like a disguise to Kim Ki-rim. For him, probably, the very model of modernism was Japan. This is supported by the fact that the poet didn't actually criticize or resist to the Japanese imperialism. As can be seen later, Kim Ki-rim even accepted Japan's Asianism in the 1940s. Kim Ki-rim applied his view of order led by Japan to his poetic discourse after he saw the outbreak of the 2nd World War and the collapse of the very principle of European modernism. In a sense, European and Japanese modernism might have competed with each other in the mind of the poet. However, the competition was not a sort of confrontation between both of the modernism. Kim Ki-rim's modernism finally reached Asianism. He rejected absolutist Chosun and China and further the absolutist Orient, and pursued European modernism. For him, the collapse of the ancient regime was like an attractive gospel and opened the gate to realizing what he wanted. But the poet's knowledge and discourse became void when the modernism of Europe broke down. This is probably because his modernism was not actually based on the reality. Kim Ki-rim purportedly excluded Japan like a filter from his poetic discourse. In this sense, Europeanism was just a disguise to him. Kim Ki-rim's poetic language became rather straight when Europeanism was historically broken down. In conclusion, he was initially a colonial modernist, finally revealing his orientation towards Japanese modernism or Asianism.

The purpose of this study is to take a review on Kim Ki-rim from the perspective of East Asian studies. In the 1930s, especially, Kim Ki-rim accepted the modernism of the West and at the same time took a critical view of Japan's Asianism. So far, discussions about Kim Ki Rim of the late 1930s have focused on his behavior at that time, that is, "resistance by silence". But this researcher would take such silence as a reflection of colonial modernity rather than as resistance like seen from the view of nationalism. In addition, the researcher would suggest that even some biographical facts like the poet's return to home and service as an English teacher were probably attributed to his deference of judgements about the Western modernism and Japan's Asianism. Thus what is more important here is to discuss what sort of modernism that Kim Ki-rim accepted was and how he later overcame it. And some signs that the poet attempted to accept pre-war Japanese ideas, for example, the theories of East Asian cooperation and the transcendence and overcoming of modernism and the philosophy of the world history are necessary to be carefully investigated. It is generally recognized that Kim Ki-rim was one of the most representative modernists in the history of Korean literature. As far as he is concerned, modernism was the destination to be pursued and at the same time the origin of crisis and the thing to be transcended and overcome. Anyway, it's no doubt that Kim Ki-rim positively accepted modernism. He thought of the acceptance like the most important exit. But he fell into a dilemma as Europe he saw as the very model of modernism came to a crisis after the 1st World War. He was envious of Europe, but felt confused about it. To transcend and overcome European modernism, however, Kim Ki-rim didn't go to Russian modern socialism unlike other intellects of the colony. For the poet, Europe was more than what was seen by way of Japan. At this point, the researcher could make two hypotheses. First, Kim Ki-rim tried to take Western modernism as a means of Japanese modernism, but in vain. He couldn't help moving to Japanese modernism. Second, European modernism was just like a disguise to Kim Ki-rim. For him, probably, the very model of modernism was Japan. This is supported by the fact that the poet didn't actually criticize or resist to the Japanese imperialism. As can be seen later, Kim Ki-rim even accepted Japan's Asianism in the 1940s. Kim Ki-rim applied his view of order led by Japan to his poetic discourse after he saw the outbreak of the 2nd World War and the collapse of the very principle of European modernism. In a sense, European and Japanese modernism might have competed with each other in the mind of the poet. However, the competition was not a sort of confrontation between both of the modernism. Kim Ki-rim's modernism finally reached Asianism. He rejected absolutist Chosun and China and further the absolutist Orient, and pursued European modernism. For him, the collapse of the ancient regime was like an attractive gospel and opened the gate to realizing what he wanted. But the poet's knowledge and discourse became void when the modernism of Europe broke down. This is probably because his modernism was not actually based on the reality. Kim Ki-rim purportedly excluded Japan like a filter from his poetic discourse. In this sense, Europeanism was just a disguise to him. Kim Ki-rim's poetic language became rather straight when Europeanism was historically broken down. In conclusion, he was initially a colonial modernist, finally revealing his orientation towards Japanese modernism or Asianism.

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Kim Ki-rim, East Asia, modernism, nationalism, modernity, Korean literature, Japan's Asianism, colonial modernist