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Chang-nam took off his jacket. He wasn’t wearing a shirt or an underwear. He was stark naked. The gym teacher was flabbergasted and the boys were howling. 

“Han Chang-nam, why aren’t you wearing a shirt?” 

“Because I don’t have one.” 

That was when the teacher’s eyes began to tear up. The students quieted down all at once.

Poverty! Hardship!

‘That’s how impoverished Chang-nam’s family was?’ That’s the thought that crossed everyone’s mind.

창남이는 양복 저고리를 벗었다.

그는 샤쓰도 적삼도 안 입은 벌거숭이 맨몸이었다.

선생님은 깜짝 놀라고 아이들은 깔깔 웃었다.

“한창남! 왜 샤쓰를 안 입었니?” 

“없어서 못 입었습니다.” 

그 때 선생님의 무섭던 눈에 눈물이 돌았다.

그리고 학생들의 웃음도 갑자기 없어졌다.

가난! 고생! 

아아, 창남이 집은 그렇게 몹시 구차하였던가.... 모두 생각하였다.

Interview by children’s literary critic Kim Yu-jin

“Eorini” magazine was the foundation of children’s literature in Korea. The creation of the children’s literary magazine allowed children’s stories to be written and published. Before then, children were ignored as non-entities, but in the 1920s, they were beginning to be seen as people, just like grownups, and stories were written just for them. His “An Enduring Shirt” was the first children’s story that showed the reality of the time from the children’s perspective.

“Oh, teacher…” 

Chang-nam’s voice quivered as if he was crying. Teardrops fell from his lowered head onto the tip of his straw slippers.

“My, my mother lost her sight when I turned eight years old. She’s blind.” 

Big teardrops flowed down the gym teacher’s face as well. The students who had been clamoring all went silent and only the muffled sounds of sobbing were heard from here and there.

“아아, 선생님...” 

창남이의 소리는 우는 소리같이 떨렸다.

그리고 그의 수그린 얼굴에서 

눈물 방울이 뚝뚝 그의 짚신 코에 떨어졌다.

“저희, 저희 어머니는 제가 여덟 살 되던 해에 

 눈이 멀으셔서 보지를 못하고 사신답니다.” 

체육 선생님의 얼굴에도 굵다란 눈물이 흘렸다.

와글와글 하던 그 많은 학생들도 자는 것같이 고요하고,

훌적훌적, 훌적거리며 우리 소리만 여기서 저기서 조용히 들렸다.

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Bang Jeong-hwan (Born in Seoul, Nov. 9, 1899~Jul. 23, 1931)

: Instituted Children’s Day in 1922

Organized the Rainbow Society, Korea’s children’s literature association, in 1923

Published Korea’s first children’s magazine “Eorini” in 1923