韓語「通俗」具有雙重內涵，這跟英語“popluar”及“common”類似。「通俗」有時意味共通（common），有時意味低級（vulgar）。本文除探索「通俗」概念的歷史脈絡及共同性／低俗性的界線外，也全面分析日常使用的「通俗」一詞的用例，及其在文學方面使用的情況，試圖描述「通俗」概念的語義演變。1900年代左右在韓國媒體出現的「通俗」一詞偶爾使用在教育及語言語境中。到1910年以後，即韓國成為殖民地之後，「通俗」一詞更頻繁地出現在殖民地朝鮮的媒體上。這時，「通俗」跟「演講」緊密結合，表示了聽演講的聽眾類型。此外，「通俗」意味著具有更多人使用的語言或可接近更多人的語言之意。總之，近代初期「通俗」概念蘊涵著讓人民能使用特定階層擁有過的知識及語言之意。在這時期，除了「通俗演講」以外，也頻繁使用了「通俗小說」、「通俗文學」等。直到1920年代中期，人們認為「通俗文學」與「大眾文學」具有相同的意思。這裡的「通俗」概念表示，大眾的不完美趣味（taste）。到1930年代後期，隨著新聞業興盛，人們更活躍地討論「通俗性」的基礎。結果，「通俗」被界定為跟大眾具有的常識有關的概念。解放以後，在日常生活方面，「通俗」主要意味著低級。解放前「通俗」的內涵在解放後轉移到「大眾」面向。這一時期的重要任務就是集結多數人的力量重組社會勢力。因此解放後「大眾」概念比「通俗」更頻繁地被使用，這是因為「大眾」概念可以更緊密地搭配「國民」或「人民」，相比之下「通俗」主要搭配「教育／演講」或「小說／文學」。南北韓分裂後，即1950年，由於純粹文學與大眾文學對立起來，而開啟了重新討論「通俗」的契機。可是，當時的批評家只認為「通俗小說」就是當代的低級小說。他們的說法導致了在文學話語場域中理解「通俗」概念的狹小化。

The Korean word ＂TONG-SOK＂ has a twofold meaning. It can stand comparison with the English words ＂popular＂ and ＂common＂, but sometimes it means ＂vulgar.＂ Tracing the conceptual history of ＂TONGSOK＂ is to identify the boundary between commonness and vulgarity. This study analyzes what Koreans have meant by the word in their daily lives or in literary discourses. The word ＂TONG-SOK＂ began to be used frequently since 1910. In those days, the word tended to be combined with ＂lecture＂ or ＂education.＂ In that case, the word implies the characteristics of the lectures. In addition, it functioned as phraseology that the most people were using and may come up to more people. About that time, the word ＂TONG-SOK＂ was used as a prefix to ＂novel＂ and ＂literature＂ in addition to ＂lecture.＂ Then, since the mid-1920s, TONG-SOK literature became a synonym for ＂popular literature.＂ The word ＂TONG-SOK＂ used herein was to show the public's common taste. In the late 30s, the word was actively discussed with the development of popular culture. During this period, the word stood for ＂common sense.＂ After liberation, the word ＂TONG-SOK＂ has started to mean ＂vulgar.＂ It was because ＂the mass＂ was substituted for the original semantic role of ＂TONG-SOK.＂ In 1950, when the conflict between belles-lettres and popular literature gradually emerged, the ＂TONG-SOK＂ began to be discussed again. However, critics of those days regarded TONG-SOK novels only as vulgarized novels. Eventually, their discussion narrowed the definition of ＂TONG-SOK＂ in the realm of literary production.