The essay gives a first introduction into the magnum opus of the North Korean poet O Yǒngjae, Taedong River (Taedonggang, 1985). This work not only enhanced the author’s reputation but contributed significantly to the development of North Korean poetry. The essay first studies the formal characteristics of Taedong River relating them to the development of the epic genre in North Korea. Thereafter the essay discusses how O Yǒngjae succeeded in producing a captivating, lyrical, and entertaining piece of literature for North Korean readers while staying within the contemporary restrictions imposed on literary production.

Taedong River is dedicated to the construction of the West Sea Dam in Namp’o, a project undertaken between 1981 and 1986. Choosing the form of a travel account, O Yǒngjae allows the reader to join him as he relives his journey along the banks of the Taedong river. He shares his road adventures and fascinating views of landscape. Against the backdrop of grand panoramas, he embarks on philosophical explorations into his lyrical self and discusses issues of contemporary society. Moreover, he even incorporates a love story in his narrative. His method of establishing a close relationship between nature, society, and the lyrical self serves to bind all passages of the poetic work into a suspense-filled narrative, without deviating too much from the poem’s ideological aims.

The poetic genre of naebang kasa, or the "Song of the Inner Chambers" as the term might be translated into English, served as a preferred medium to communicate the voices of Korean elite class women in a male dominated society that put huge restraints on women bereaving them of an active role in public. The paper gives an overview on the basic opinions about the beginnings of the naebang kasa genre and discusses more closely one of its main types, the so-called hwajǒn ka dedicated to spring outings for enjoying flowers. Considering the paucity of sources on pre-modern Korean women, naebang kasa songs are assessed as particularly invaluable documents which call for more intensive and broader research than it has been done in the past.

The special issue of Orientaliska studier consists of a selection of papers presented at the International conference dedicated to the 60^th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between the Kingdom of Sweden and the Republic of Korea (ROK) held on May 23-24, 2019 at Stockholm University, Department of Asian, Middle Eastern and Turkish Studies. The papers cover a wide variety of topics, ranging from the historical relations and institutional contacts between the two countries to the history of Korean studies at Stockholm University, research on political issues, Korean culture, Korean cultural industries, language teaching and education.

The study is dedicated to the literary and cultural analysis of a number of Korean poems dealing with the image of the cuckoo and written in the 15th century in the ci genre. The "Songs of the Cuckoo" (Chagyusa) are important sources for understanding the reaction of the Korean intellectual elite to the usurpation of the throne by Sejo and their support for the overthrown ("abdicated") ruler Tanjong in the Early Choson period. In the beginning, the paper discusses the general image of the cuckoo established in Chinese and Korean literary tradition. Then follows an analysis of two poems composed by the overthrown king Tanjong on the place of his exile.