Internet novels are novels written by so called ‘Netizens,’ or internet users, on the internet. They include various genres, such as romance, fantasy, science fiction and so on. There are even internet cafes and special websites for internet novel writers to write their novels. Many teenagers now read and even write these internet novels, and they have now became a part of Korean teenagers’ culture. However, many people are debating about whether these Internet novels should be considered literature.
“Internet novels tend to be more fun to read, when compared to other novels,” said Lee Seong-ju, a sophomore from Youngshin Girls’ High School. “Many internet novel writers are teenagers, like us, so they know what we think about and what we adore. I personally think that literature should deal with things that people can sympathize with.”
Many other teenagers like Lee believe internet novels should be considered as literature because they deal with topics that young adults are interested in and can relate to. However, there are many people who criticize Internet novels for several reasons.
“If you read any one of them, you would realize how low their qualities are,” said Lee Jung-tag, a Korean language and literature professor at Seoul Women’s University. “They use so many slangs, and often refer to inappropriate topics such as sex or adultery. But most of all, they tend to be so similar to each other. Their plots, their characters……. It seems like the writers don’t have any individuality.”
Like Professor Lee, most professionals tend to evaluate Internet novels as something that should not be considered as literature. Many Internet novels do tend to have low qualities and use slangs. It is also true that most of them have similar plots and characters; there was even a popular Internet article about characteristics that most Internet novels share.
Although more people argue that Internet novels should not be considered as literature, the number of people who believe that they are literature is increasing.
