League of Nine Littérateurs/Trivia

## The Guinhoe

The Guinhoe (Hangul: 구인회, Hanja: 九人會), or ‘**The League of Nine**’, was one of the several writers’ associations formed in response to gradual decline in proletarian literature and the gradual decay in the Korean Artist Proletarian Federation (조선프롤레타리아예술가동맹), or **KAPF** (카프, Kapeu). Defined as a modernist writing group, they ideologically contrasted the realist literature expounded by the KAPF, who denounced modernist styles as an immoral art form. Guinhoe members were regularly pressured by the KAPF and imperialist-controlled government, with colonial oppression affecting many of its members and the nature of their works, either rallying them against the higher powers or crushing them to obey.

### Members

Founded on August 15, 1933, the founding members were:

* **Kim Kirim** (김기림, 金起林 — Rim; played by Faust)
* **Yi Hyoseok** (이효석, 李孝石 — Aseah; played by Gregor)
* **Lee Jong-myeong** (이종명, 李鍾鳴 — Yurang; played by Ishmael)
* **Kim Yu-yeong** (김유영, 金幽影 — ???; played by Meursault)
* **Yoo Chi-jin** (유치진, 柳致眞 — Dongrang)
* **Cho Yong-man** (조용만, 趙容萬 — Aneung; played by Sinclair)
* **Lee Tae-jun** (이태준, 李泰俊 — Sang-heo; played by Outis)
* **Jeong Ji-yong** (정지용, 鄭芝溶 — Young-ji; played by Hong Lu)
* **Lee Mu-young** (이무영 — Gap-ryong; played by Heathcliff)

Eventually, Lee Jong-myeong, Kim Yu-yeong, and Yi Hyoseok would leave the league, with new members:

* **Park Taewon** (박태원, 朴泰遠 — Gubo; played by Don Quixote),
* **Kim Hae-Gyeong** (김해경, 金海卿 — Yi Sang), and—
* **Park Pal-yang** (박팔양, 朴八陽 — ???; played by Ryōshū)—joining in their stead.

As Yoo Chi-jin and Cho Yong-man left the league as well:

* **Gim Yujeong** (김유정, 金裕貞 — Dongbaek), and—
* **Kim Hwan-tae** (김환태, 金煥泰 — Nul-in; played by Rodion)—would replace them.

And after Lee Mu-yeong’s departure, Kim Sangyong (김상용, 金尙鎔) would take his spot, and remain until the group gradually dissolved around 1937, as members either left and/or died. While the members may have shifted over the years, the number of members almost always stayed nine until the end.

* By process of elimination, Kim Sangyong is the only historical Guinhoe member to have no representation within the League of Nine Littérateurs in *Limbus Company*, at all.

## Dissolution

The group lasted around 3-4 years, depending on what exactly can be defined as its dissolution during 1937. Though due to numerous factors such as the Sino-Japanese War and Pacific War, along with the fact that several of the members had jobs and other obligations preventing them from meeting more often, the league was fated to short lifespan.

*Poetry and Novel* (Hangul: 시와 소설, *Siwa soseol*) was a magazine founded by the Guinhoe in 1936, with Yi Sang acting as chief editor. The first issue was published on March 13, 1936 by the Christian Publishing Company (창문사, *Changmunsa*; 彰文社), and was planned to have a second issue released. However, because of Yi Sang’s departure to Japan the same year, the growing fame of Guinhoe's works, along with Yi Sang’s death the year after, this never came to be. ‘Poetry and Novel’ is considered to be the last collaboration the Guinhoe ever worked on together, before the league’s gradual disbandment throughout 1936 to 1937.

* This is paralled by Yi Sang's invention of the mirror along with the League's growing fame as the inventions started recieving praise in T Corp, sparking the fire that would eventually tear the members apart.

## **Young-ji Trivia**

**Young-ji** was based on Korean poet Jeong Ji-yong (정지용, 鄭芝溶), originating from his courtesy name, **Young-ji** (영지, 靈之).

### The Glass Window

The **glass window** (유리창, *yurichang*) is based on two of Jeong Ji-yong’s poems of the same name, *Yurichang* (유리창), sometimes translated with the title ***Windowpane***. The poems were published in 1929, and later were grouped into the *Jeong Ji-yong Poetry Collection* (정지용 시집), in 1935.

The poems are speculated to be written in the memory of either Jeong Ji-yong’s firstborn daughter, Guwon (구원, 求園), or his second eldest son, Guik (구익, 求翼); both of whom died shortly before the poems were first published.

* Either way, this appears to have inspired Young-ji’s grief and motivation for inventing the glass mirror and almost violating the Head’s taboo of resurrecting the dead as Dongbaek warned.

#### Literary parallels

* Jeong Ji-yong was born on June 20, 1902, being the eldest member of the Guinhoe.
	+ This is reflected in how the majority of the League members refer to him as ‘Brother’ (형, *hyeong*) Young-ji, implying him to be the eldest amongst the group.
* The only League members that do not address him by this honorific are Dongbaek and Yurang.
	+ Dongbaek doesn’t due to her close relationship with him and the casual nature she maintains with other members, being scolded by Sang-heo for her informal manner of speech towards Young-ji.
	+ Yurang is based on Lee Jong-myeong, whose date of birth and death are both unknown, leading to ambiguity to the relationship he had with the other Guinhoe members.
* During the Korean War, Ji-yong was abducted by the North Korean government and went largely went missing; according to reporter Park Tae-sang (박태상), he was killed in a North Korean bombing on September 25, 1950. Before the report was published in 2003, Jeong Ji-yong was under suspicion of voluntarily defecting to North Korea, and was subject to censure for the following decades,
	+ This is reflected in Young-ji’s positive light in *Limbus Company*’s narrative, along with his suspicious disappearance before T Corp’s raid and ambiguous fate after the League disbanded.

## **Gap-ryong Trivia**

**Gap-ryong** was based on Lee Mu-young (이무영), who’s birth name was **Lee Gap-ryong** (이갑용, 李甲龍).

* Lee Moo-young was a pro-Japanese partisan who—even after the Korean liberation—left a number of writings defending his actions, criticized the liquidation of pro-Japanese factions, or painted the pro-Japanese parties as victims.
	+ Gap-ryong role as a traitor to League appears to reflect Moo-young’s history doubling down on his pro-Japanese stance during his career, both figures hypocritically aiding the oppressor for the sake of their own image and benefit.

## Sang-heo Trivia

**Sang-heo** was based on Lee Tae-jun (이태준, 李泰俊), **Sang-heo** (상허, 尙虛), or ‘**Owner of Sangheodang**’ (상허당주인, *Sangheodangjuin*, 尙虛堂主人) was one of Tae-jun's nicknames.

* Lee Tae-jun gradually became disillusioned with the Guinhoe as its members slowly bent over to pro-Japanese ideals over time. After moving back to his birthplace of Cheorwon, he unfortunately had to participate in the pro-Japanese literary group, the Society of Patriotic Writers (조선문인보국회, 朝鮮文人報國會) just to survive. He was incredibly reluctant in taking part, thus avoiding being classified as a pro-Japanese writer.
* After Korea's liberation in 1945, Tae-jun was regretful for his previous cooperation with the colonial-powers and participated in multiple left-wing groups before defecting to North Korea. He worked as a war correspondent before being exiled to Gangwon; Tae-jun’s last known whereabouts, where he lived with his wife on social security around 1969 at the age of 66.
	+ This is reflected in how Dongbaek suspected Sang-heo to be one of the traitors, whom Sang-heo reaffirmed that they were not—staying loyal to the group until the end.
* Tae-jun was the second eldest member of the Guinhoe, being born on November 4, 1904 — whereas Jeong Ji-yong was born on June 20, 1902.
	+ This is reflected in how Dongrang refers to Sang-heo with the honorifics specifying them to be older than he, and Sang-heo in turn respecting Young-ji as the elder ‘brother’ in the same manner.

## Aneung Trivia

**Aneung** was based on Cho Yong-man (조용만, 趙容萬), originating from Cho Yong-man's pseudonym, **Aneung** (아능, 雅能).

* On February, 1933, Cho Yong-man became a reporter for pro-Japanese newspaper, Maeil Sinbo (매일신보). He would later publish numerous pro-Japanese works and cooperate with the Japanese government in suppressing Korean culture.
	+ Yong-man’s pro-Japanese and anti-nationalist actions are reflected in Aneung’s role as a betrayer to the League, having ratted out the League’s location to T Corp for his own benefit.

## Nul-in Trivia

**Nul-in** was based on literary critic Kim Hwan-tae (김환태, 金煥泰), originating from his pen name, **Nul-in** (눌인, 訥人).

* Kim Hwan-tae was an active member in the Guinhoe, and was worried that Korean literature would be tainted by pro-Japanese sentiments. When pro-Japanese literature swept through the Korean literary world, he would eventually be imprisoned for ideological thought-crime by the pro-japanese government. After being released, he returned to his hometown in Muju County, before eventually retiring and quietly passing away at the age of 35 during 1944.
	+ Despite Hwan-tae being one of the few Guinhoe members without a particular history of controversy such as pro-Japanese or North Korean sentiment, Nul-in was still portrayed in a relatively negative light in *Limbus Company*’s narrative. This may be due to Hwan-tae’s profession as a critic, reflected in Nul-in’s rather harsh criticisms over the League.
* Still, due to Hwan-tae’s rather neutral background and even having been imprisoned for his ideological views, Nul-in was not implied to have betrayed the League.

## Yurang Trivia

**Yurang** was based on Lee Jong-myeong (이종명, 李鍾鳴), the name coming from Lee Jong-myeong’s novel, ***Wandering*** (유랑, *Yurang*), published in 1928.

* In the KAPF film adaptation of *Wandering* (유랑, Yurang) in 1928, the story centers on **Lee Young-jin** (이영진) returning to his hometown from his wandering days. There, he meets an old man and falls in love with his beautiful daughter, **Soon-Yi** (순이), after staying with her family. He then tries to set up a night school in his hometown, despite the slander or criticisms. Unfortunately, the wealthy landowner, **Gang Byeongjo** (강병조), tries to force Soon-Yi to marry his idiot son, **Yun-gil-i** (윤길이), in exchange for forgiving the debt on the home owned by Soon-Yi’s family. This shocks the lovers and angers Soon-Yi’s father. In order to avoid her arranged marriage, Soon-Yi climbs up the local mountain to commit suicide by jumping off the cliff. As she prepares to jump, her hand is grabbed by Young-jin, and the two walk back to the village with Soon-Yi’s father helping them along the night to an uncertain future. Like most other KAPF works, the narrative features the proletarian farmer weathering the socio-economic difficulties brought on by the colonial era.
	+ Ishmael was likely cast into Yurang’s role due to the fact that she was a ‘wanderer’ for most of her life as well; from her seafaring days on the Great Lake to aimlessly fluttering between Fixer Offices to find a way to reunite with her captain of their old crew.
* After Dongbaek, Yurang is the second member of the League to be named after the title of a work by the Guinhoe member they represent—instead of being named after one of their pseudonyms.

## ??? (Meursault)

The unknown member played by Meursault is believed that they’re based on Kim Yu-yeong (김유영, 金幽影).

* As shown by their lament that they’ll be taken by T Corp, the same as Yurang before them, they are implied to have not betrayed the League.
	+ This appears to reflect how Kim Yu-yeong and Lee Jong-myeong were ideological comrades from the KAPF, serving as promoters for the Guinhoe together when it formed, and withdrew from the group when it fell apart. Additionally, among the three KAPF members (Kim Yu-yeong, Park Pal-yang, and Yi Hyoseok), Yu-yeong was the only member with no history of collaboration with Japanese colonial rule.
* Of the Guinhoe, Yu-yeong was the only member to not be a writer, as he was mainly involved in the film industry, working as a film director and screenwriter. Kim Yu-yeong adapted Lee Jong-myeong’s novel, *Wandering* (유랑, Yurang), into a film during 1928, the same year of its publication; it failed in the box office.

## ??? (Ryōshū)

By process of elimination, it is believed that the Guinhoe member played by Ryōshū is based on Park Pal-yang (박팔양, 朴八陽).

* When the Korean War broke out, Pal-yang defected to North Korea and became a staunch spokesman for its government and literature. Additionally, due to becoming an reporter for the Manseon Ilbo (만선일보), a government-controlled media outlet, Pal-yang's unfortunately was also defined as a Chinilpa (Korean: 친일파; lit. pro-Japan faction), or pro-Japanese factionist. Due to these factors, Pal-yang works have not been remembered fondly and were possibly subject to censure by South Korea.
* Ryōshū standing in for Pal-yang appears to be more so a pun; her name is pronounced in Korean as *'Ryosyu **('*****료슈**), similar to Pal-yang’s pen name, Gim **Ryeosu** (김**려수**, 金麗水).
* Park Pal-yang is thus the only founding member of the Guinhoe to have no substantial representation in *Limbus Company*’s interpretation of the League.