Comparison of Digital Literature* between South Korea and North America

The author examines what literary activities have been conducted on the web or on individual computers in both South Korea and North America. To do that, the author focuses on the differences of digital literature in South Korea and North America by examining the digital literary history of both regions. Furthermore, the author delves into the definitions of terms such as e-literature and digital literature to find out how the two parties have represented them according to their terms. The author reviews how experimental literary traditions in North America and socio-economic aspects of South Korea would affect the development of digital literature in each country. Also, the author looks into what kinds of actual online texts have been produced and how the public has responded to them, as well as what problems both sides have faced regarding the future survival of digital literature in a rapidly changing Internet environment. (Chungnam National University)