The Review of Korean Studies
- P-ISSN1229-0076
- E-ISSN2773-9351
- SCOPUS, ESCI
ISSN : 1229-0076
The Resurrection of Confucianism in North Korea
Abstract
While Juche ideology, emblematic of socialism in North Korea, was first formed based on Marxist-Leninism, it was gradually infused with the traditional Korean thought of Confucianism as the North Korean regime, as well as the personal power of Kim Il Sung, stabilized on a firm footing. As a result, socialism in North Korea began to transform in its own ways. The traditional Confucianism of the five-hundred-year Joseon Dynasty, particularly the ethics of the Three Bonds and Five Relationships, impacted all aspects of Korean lives in an immeasurable ways. This tradition, however, was severely criticized by the new twentieth century intellectuals who were exposed to new Western thoughts and academic trends during the Japanese colonial period. The North Korean regime, which, after liberation, adopted Marxist-Leninism as the founding ideology of the regime, severely criticized and denied traditional Confucianism as a pre-modern and feudal ideology based on anachronistic idealism. Korean Confucianism, initially abandoned by the North Korean regime in its formative years, however, was resurrected in Juche ideology in order to justify the dictatorial regime of Kim Il Sung.In this article, I sought to closely follow the process of denial-to-resurrection of Korean Confucianism in great detail. Starting with the discourses of denial produced by reformist intellectuals of the colonial period such as Yun Chiho and Yi Gwangsu, I move on to the praise of Soviet-style socialism and concomitant erasure of traditional Confucianism by the likes of Baek Namun during the early years of the North Korean regime, and finish with the processes of resurrection of Confucianism during the 1970s and 1980s as the Juche ideology became formalized and stabilized. North Korea’s Juche ideology is a resurrection of Confucianism in a mystical way, and socialism in North Korea therefore can be seen as an ideology with a strong mutual affinity with pre-modern ideologies.
- keywords
- modernity, socialism in North Korea, Juche ideology, Confucianism, resurrection of Confucianism
Reference
An, Chanil. 1997. Juche sasang eui jongeon. Seoul: Ulyu Munhwasa.
Baek, Namun. 2005. Ssoryeon insang. Ed. Gijung Bang. Seoul: Seonin.
Bak, Seungdeok. 1977. Juche sasang eun segye reul insikhago gaejohaneun gangryeokhan mugi. Pyeongyang: Gwahak Baekgwasajeon Chulpansa.
Choe, Yeonghwan. 1955. Haebang hu joseon hyeokmyeong e iteoseo eui bukbanbu minjugiji. Ryeoksa Gwahak 10:41-65.
Chung, Yong-Soon. 1996. Chuch’e-Ideen und Neo-Konfuzianismus in Nordkorea. Ph.D. diss. Humboldt University.
Chung, Yong-Soon. 2004. Hanguk geundaesa e iteoseo jucheseong munje gochal. Baeksan Hakbo 70:1154-1188.
Chung, Young-Soon and Hee Young Kwon. 2009. Yukmang eui danrak (short circuit) gwa ‘gongsan jueui dodok’. Racan gwa hyeondae jeongsin bunseok 11(2): 29-46.
Donga ilbo. 1920a. July 19.
Donga ilbo. 1920b. Gukgae daehan sindodeok. July 19.
Donga ilbo. 1920c. Sin dodeok eul ron hayeo sin sahoe reul mang hanora. July 18.
Donga ilbosa. 1977. Donga ilbo saseol seonjib. Vol. 1. Seoul.
Go, Rim. 1989. Juche cheolhakwonron. Pyeongyang: Pyeongyang Chulpansa.
Gwon, Deokgyu. 1920. Donga ilbo. May 8.
Ha, Sudo. 1988. Kim Ilseong sasangbipan-yumullon gwa juchesasang. Seoul: Doseo Chulpan Baekdu.
Joseon Minjujueui Inmin Gonghwaguk Ryeoksa Yeonguso. 1958. Joseon tongsa (Ha). Pyeongyang: Author.
Joseon Rodongdang Chulpansa. 1984. Cheolhak sajeon. Pyeongyang: Author.
Joseon Rodongdang Chulpansa. 1985. Byeonjeungbeopjeok yumullon. Pyeongyang: Author.
Ju, Gongseong, Hongsun Yi, and Chilseong Ju. 1994. Hanguk cheolhak sasangsa. Seoul: Yemun Seowon.
Kim, Changha. 1986. Yeongsang bulmyeoleui juchesasang. Pyeongyang: Joseon Rodongdang Chulpansa.
Kim, Il Sung. 1963. 8.15 haebang 1 junyeon pyeongyangsi gyeongchukdaehoe eseo han bogo in Kim Il Sung seonjib. Vol. 1. Pyeongyang: Joseon Rodongdang Chulpansa.
Kim, Il Sung. 1967. Sasang saeop eseo gyojojueui wa hyeongsikjueui reul toechihago juchereul hwakribhal de daehayeo. In vol. 1 of Kim Il Sung jeojak jeonjip. Pyeongyang: Joseon Rodongdang Chulpansa.
Kim, Il Sung. 1980. Kim Il Seong dongji hyeokmyeong sasang eui gibbon. Pyeongyang: Joseon Rodongdang Chulpansa.
Kim, Il Sung. 1982. Juche sasang e daehayeo. Pyeongyang: Joseon Rodongdang Chulpansa.
Kim, Yeongsu. 1991. Bukhan eui jeongchi munhwa: ‘Juche munhwa’wa jeontong jeongchi munhwa. Ph.D. diss. Sogang University.
Kwon, Hee Young. 1999. Hanin sahoejueui undong yeongu. Seoul. Gukhak jaryowon.
Kwon, Hee Young. 1967. Sasang saeop eseo gyojojueui wa hyeongsikjueui reul toechihago juchereul hwakribhal de daehayeo. In vol. 1 of Kim Il Sung jeojak jeonjip. Pyeongyang: Joseon Rodongdang Chulpansa. 2010. Ilje sigi joseon eui yuhak damron: Gongja myeongye hweson sageon eul jungsimeuro. Hanguk minjok undongsa yeongu 63:121-154.
Ryeoksa yeonguso godae mit jungsesa yeongusil. 1958. Joseon godae ryeoksa jirihak yeongu seoseol. Ryeoksaron munjib 2: 3-79.
Seo, Jaejin. 1994. Bukhan jumindeul eui gachi euisik byeonhwa: Soryeon mit dongguwaeui bigyo yeongu. Seoul: Minjok tongil yeonguwon.
Wright, Mary Clabaugh. 1957. The Last Stand of Chinese Conservatism. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Yi, Gwangsu. 1979. Yi Gwangsu jeonjib. Vol. 10. Seoul: Usinsa.
Yi, Jongseok. 2000. Saero sseun hyeondae bukhak eui yihae. Seoul: Yeoksa Bipyeongsa.
Yi, Namyeong. 1982. Jaengjeom euro bon hanguk seonglihak eui simcheung. Hanguk sasang eui simcheung yeongu. Ed. Myeonggi Jo. Seoul: Useok.
Yi, Sangeun. 1992. Han Wonjin eui inmulseong iron. In Hanguk eui sasang, eds. Sasun Yun and Ikjin Go. Seoul: Yeoleumsa.
Yun Chiho ilgi. 1893. http://db.history.go.kr/front/srchservice/srcFrameSet.jsp?pSearchWord=CNIKCELODMJOCNNCAEJG&pSearchWordList=CNIKCELODMJOCNNCAEJG&pSetID=-1&pTotalCount=0&pSearchType=1&pMainSearchType=2&pQuery=GGIOGGKIGGKPGGIGGGJAGGIGCNIKCELODMJOCNNCAEJGGGIP&pSearchClassName=&oid=&url=&method=&lang=korean&code=&searchword=&return= (accessed June 25, 2010).
- Downloaded
- Viewed
- 0KCI Citations
- 0WOS Citations