Abstract

The aim of this study is to inspect the activities and role of the Confucian intellectuals who participated in Kyonghagwon. Kyonghagwon was founded in 1911 as an organization under direct control of Chosun Government General. The purpose of the foundation of Kyonghagwon is to persuade the Korean Confucian to drop the anti-Japanese notions, and to educate pro-Japanese Confucians and use them as the educational and advertisement tool for the control of Government General. In the activities of Kyonghagwon, Sasung(司成) and Gangsa(講士) took the main role. Sasung not only ran the Kyunghagwon, but also made reports regarding the Confucian activities nationwide as they observed the nationwide lecture tour of the Gangsa's; actively advertised the government policies of Japan, and did the lectures calling for the complete assimilation of Chosun and Japan; and wrote the poetries swearing their loyalty to the Japanese imperial family. Sasung also supervised the publication of Kyonghagwonjobji, the regular journal of the institution. The articles of the journal mainly included the rationalization of the Japanese control over Chosun with the Confucian logic, and also included the eulogies to the Japanese Emperor, praises for the Japanese governmental policies, and writings insisting Chosun people to be assimilated to the Japanese, all written by the intellectuals of Kyunghagwon, including the Sasungs, and Gangsas. The Gangsas of Kyunghagwon inspected and reported the activities of Confucians in their appointed area, and did the nationwide lectures to advertise and backed the control policies of Japanese government, emphasizing the Loyalty and Obedience of the Confucian virtues. Their initial role was to suppress the anti-Japanese awareness of the local Conficians by the nationwide lectures, and turn them into the loyal servants of the Japan.