朝鮮一直吸收中原地區的優秀文化，隨著時代的變化，相繼接受了文言和白話小說的影響。雖然有一些衛道文人嚴守正統文學觀，極力排斥稗官小說，但不少文人仍然喜歡閲讀小說，朝廷大臣不僅私下傳閲，而且親自刊刻，因此朝鮮時代，小說的接受、閲讀、創作和刊刻的主體，最初是上層文人，後來慢慢擴大到中下層文人以及婦女階層。在朝鮮，無論是傳入的中國小說還是本國作者創作的漢文小說，皆自上而下擴大發展，只有民間産生的說唱體小說是一個例外。對中國小說持有寬容態度的朝鮮文人，也有機會參加燕行使節團，深深體驗中國文化，直接接觸小説等通俗文學的世界。雖然在文集留下的明確記載不多，但目前的資料還是可以推斷他們利用赴燕機會，閲讀並購買小說作品而將之帶回。先是在較小的範圍內輪流閲覽，遇有機會則加以出版，使之更爲廣泛流傳，後來出現了對其加以翻譯，做出諺解本以便宮廷妃嬪宮女或貴族家庭的婦女閲讀欣賞。到了朝鮮後期，明末清初的小品文和稗官小說的文體直接影響到朝廷文人的寫作習慣，以至於部分高層官吏非常擔心這種現象會導致文風浮華輕薄，因強烈要求國王推動「文體反正」運動，禁止輸入中國文集和稗官小說等書。但是，由於此時小說的影響不只限於朝廷，更漫延於社會其他階層，國王只能禁止朝臣文風浮華，卻無法遏止社會上廣爲流佈的自由文風，小說仍然影響甚大。朝鮮晚期更出現大量的翻譯文學，表現出近代民族意識的逐漸提高。同時，小說這種文體也逐漸占據了文學的主導地位，以迎接近代開化期的到來。

For ages, the Joseon Dynasty had embraced much of the distinguished culture of China and the diffusion of Chinese novels also took a natural course through changes in time. Based on a traditional literary view, some conservative scholars tried to ostracize Chinese novels, yet many scholars enjoyed them; thus they read and privately communicated with each other, and through personal publishing propagated the books. The top classes of literary scholars were the principal people who accepted, thoroughly read, and further composed and published Chinese novels during the early Joseon period. The generous attitude shown by Seo Geojeong and Seong Im well represents this when they accepted Extensive Records Compiled in the Taiping Years and Cutting Candle Romance in the early Joseon period. Reaching prosperity, as translations and creations of Korean novels increased, they were introduced to middle-class readers, writers and also women of the royal court. Many scholars were lovers of novels and travelled to Beijing as appointed delegates, who later played a key role in the adoption and publication of the novels. Around the 1550s, seizing power in culture society, Yun Chunnyon who was director of the state bureau of publications, Gyoseo Guan, was a significant figure in publishing novels such as Cutting Candle Romance and Kumoshinwha. There is also a possibility that the recently discovered metal movable type print version of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms was published by Yun. Around the 1570s, Gi Daeseung aggressively criticized the publication and diffusion of novels from the viewpoint of a Confucian scholar. Within the society of literary scholars, arguments regarding the pros and cons of the novels continued. After 200 years, in the 1770s, King Jeongjo criticized the writing style of the novels among the literary scholars and he raised a "Change in Literary Style Movement." However, the novels had become more influential in society. During this period, literature translation was improved as ethnic consciousness increased, and through the massive quantity of translations of both Chinese novels and novels of Nakseon Jae, the modern novel period began to set in.