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| VIII. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LIBERATION
MOVEMENT |
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| 3. Safeguarding and Preserving the National
Culture |
| (1) Development of National Education |
The enlightenment movement came into being during the
period when Japan's invasion into Korea became evident
and placed great importance on the future of education.
At the time, harbingers of the movement wanted to safeguard
the people. They held a strong belief that the people's
abilities should be fostered through education for the
construction of a modern nation.
Thus, between 1905 and 1910, more than 5,000 nationalist
schools were established at home and abroad. New academic
learnings along with national history and Han'gul were
taught at these schools for the purpose of implanting
a consciousness for self-empowerment and autonomy as well
as patriotism in the heart of its students.
But after completely robbing Korea of its sovereignty,
Japan strongly oppressed nationalist education and closed
up many of the schools. Japan strengthened colonial education
in order to demand subservience to Japan. |
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As the Japanese
assault on the sovereign rights of Korea began in
earnest, many devotees of the "Save-The-Nation
Movement" established schools across the country
in an attempt to instill patriotism among the people. |
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After a while, nationalist education became active along
with the rise of the independence movement. Its leaders
stood in opposition to the government schools set up by
the Japanese and established private schools in various
areas nationwide to teach their students. Young leaders,
who also shared the nationalist sentiment, set up lecturing
institutions or night schools to teach poor youths in
the cities and villages. In spite of the Japanese oppression
against the traditional rural schools, Sodangs gathered
students from rural villages to nuture patriotism and
teach the basics of education.
Such active enforcement of nationalist education at home
and abroad not only aided in preserving Korean culture
but also played a decisive role in training leaders of
the independence movement. |
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| (2) Research and Preservation of National Learning |
| Following the development of national education interest
in the national language and history also grew. Since
the national language and history are cultural heritages
of the people, studies in these areas became more active
as a means of nurturing nationalist sentiments among the
people. This was at a time when the Japanese oppression
against the nation increased in severity. |
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An organization
dedicated to the study of Han'gul, the Korean language,
was established in 1921, and Korean language scholars
including Chu Si-gyong actively promoted widespread
use of the language. |
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A harbinger in these activities, Chu Si-gyong passed
on the results from his successful studies and works to
promote the national language. He taught Korean to youths
during the period of the Patriotic Enlightenment Movement.
In addition, the disciples of Chu Si-gyong set up the
Choson Language Institute to research and propagate the
Korean language even under Japanese oppression. The Japanese
opposed the study and use of Korean and threw many scholars
into prison (the Choson Language Institute Incident).
Research in national history developed in opposition to
the Colonial Historical Perspective which was written
by Japanese government scholars. In order to inspire a
national consciousness, Sin Ch'ae-ho systematically described
our ancient history. Pak Un-sik wrote a book on the modern
history of Korea in order to inform the world of the atrocities
under Japanese rule and the woeful independence movement
of the Korean people. These two persons were not simply
historians but were national leaders who offered their
lives to the independence struggle as they traveled to
Manchuria and China. Pak Un-sik was the president of the
Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and Sin
Ch'aeho was a martyr who was captured by Japanese officials
and put into the L shun Prison for having participated
in the independence movement.
Japan, in an effort to fully colonize the Korean nation,
oppressed the study of national history but also used
every means to oppressed its spreading. The Japanese even
prohibited the use of Korean at school and at home and
prohibited people from reading its history. But thanks
to efforts of such enlightened thinkers, Koreans were
able to recover their national language and history to
take its place as one of the most developed countries
in the world today. |
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| (3) Mass Media Activities and the Art Movement |
During the Japanese invasion, the leaders of the enlightenment
movement published newspapers and magazines to inspire
patriotism and bring modern thought to the nation. Such
papers include the Hwangsong Sinmun, Cheguk Sinmun, Taehan
Maeil-Sinbo, Manse-Bo and the Taehan Chaganghoe Monthly.
Prominent enlightenment thinkers such as Chang Chi-yon,
Pak Un-sik, Sin Ch'ae-ho, Chu Si-gyong wrote patriotic
editorials for these newspapers and magazines. For this
reason, the Japanese closed down these press agencies.
The Japanese, who were thrown into shock by the Korean's
will for independence through the March First Movement,
could not but permit the publication of Han'gul newspapers
and magazines. The newly published papers during this
period, such as the Dong-A Ilbo and Chosun Ilbo, implanted
a modern consciousness in the people and greatly contributed
in inspiring the development of national thought.
However, these papers were countlessly suspended and confiscated
as a result of Japanese oppression and all of them discontinued
by 1940.
As the modern consciousness among the people grew, new
movements began to spring up in the fields of literature
and art. New novels, discounting feudalistic morality
and superstitions, were written during the patriotic enlightenment
period. In addition, Koreans also sang songs which inspired
a sense of independence and patriotism.
Free development of such art activities was impossible
under Japanese rule. However, after the March First Movement,
some art magazines were published and spurred new activities
in literature and art. There were some activists in this
field such as Yi Yuk-sa, Yun Tong-chu and others who displayed
the joys and sorrows of the nation, as well as the consciousness
for resistance. Thus, awakening these sentiments in the
people. Such endeavors in nationalistic art began to fade
during the 1940s due to Japanese oppression and only the
pro-Japanese art remained. |
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Portrait of Tan'gun
inside the main Ch'ondo-gyo (religion of the heavenly
way) Temple. |
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| (4) New Trends in Religious Activities |
During the enlightenment movement period, there were
changes in the field of religion as well. The thought
of Tonghak, which was greatly oppressed due to the peasant
movement of 1894, was redeveloped and expanded as a religion
by the works of Son Pyong-hui. However, as a minority
of his followers began to commit pro-Japanese acts, Son
Pyong-hui parted from them and created the Ch'ondogyo
religion which evolved from the traditions of Tonghak.
Ch'ondogyo possessed a strong nationalist consciousness
which resisted the Japanese, and played a pivotal role
in the March First Movement.
Na Ch'ol developed the nationalist worship of Tan'gun
and founded the Taejonggyo religion in 1909. Because it
emphasized a nationalist position, Taejonggyo was widely
developed in the Korean societies of Manchuria where armed
independence struggles were widespread.
Buddhism also displayed changes concomitant with modernization.
The Buddhist monk Han Yong-un stood at the frontlines
of the March First Movement and Zen Buddhism, which was
a new formulation of Buddhism, carried out reclamation
projects and a movement to increase savings in order to
nourish the capabilities of the nation.
Foreign religions in addition to national religions were
widespread. Through such education institutions, they
helped raise a modern consciousness and the desire for
independence among Koreans.
Japanese imperialists similarly waged oppressive measures
against religion. In the process of invading the Empire
of Taehan (Taehan Chekuk), Japan suppressed Tonghak and
created a pro-Japanese religion of Sich'on'gyo (Heaven
Worship), and then they infiltrated into Buddhism and
all chief priests of important temples were appointed
by the Government General. Beginning with Sino-Japanese
and Pacific Wars, Japan waged an all-out campaign against
religion, forcing people to only worship the Japanese
gods. Japan deprived the Korean people of freedom of religion
and demanded that Koreans become its colonial slaves by
offering loyality only to their emperor. |
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