5․16에 대한 한국 기독교의 인식과 대응 – 한국기독교연합회(NCC)의 활동을 중심으로

Abstract

May 16 raises the sharpest question in Korean modern history. This is because the view of Korean modern history varies depending on whether May 16 is regarded as a coup or a revolution. This difference is related to the polarization of the evaluation of President Park Chung-hee. The difference in evaluation surrounding May 16 provides a decisive starting point for understanding Korean modern history and further Korean society. In this regard, May 16 is like the litmus test paper of Korean modern history. When May 16 occurred, it was the The National Christian Council(NCC) that responded most quickly. Korean Christianity, including the NCC, vaguely recognized that May 16 contained the possibility of dictatorship, but expected massive social reforms to take place, with anti-communist systems established and corruption disappearing through May 16. Behind the support of Korean Christianity on May 16, there was a resonance for the fact that the human composition of the military forces was pro-Christian, the opposition to the scene regime that was usually perceived as a Catholic regime, and the theory of human reformation emphasized by the military forces. For this reason, even progressive Christian intellectuals took a cooperative attitude in the early days of the military administration. However, expectations for May 16 led to disappointment with several things. Above all, Korean Christianity considered that the issue of Lord`s Day, the core of collective identity, was greatly violated by military forces. The bigger problem was the conflict over the transfer of civil government. The biggest reason why Korean Christianity initially supported May 16 was that it believed that the military government would be temporarily implemented. From 1961 to 1963, support and expectations for May 16 turned into disappointment and distrust. This change in position served as a factor for Korean Christianity to participate in the Movement against the Agreement between Korea and Japan. In other words, the perception and response of Korean Christianity to ‘May 16’ is difficult to dismiss as a simple problem of cooperation in ‘Coup’.