‘4월혁명’과 일본

Abstract

This paper studies the perception of the April Revolution in Japan. In particular, it studies the perception of the media and scholars of Japanese newspapers and magazines as well as the Korean community from the Revolution till now. Immediately after the April Revolution, it was perceived as a “riot(폭동)” by Japanese media and scholars. The perception was based on Japanese type orientalism and the Cold War, however it was basically a fight for democratization from the authoritarian Rhee Syngman Government. The member of Korean Association of Korean Residents(조총련) in Japan did not perceive it as a riot, but rather a “people’s uprising(인민봉기)” where the people believed that a true revolution was to defeat American imperialism and achieve peaceful reunification of the Fatherland. Other perceptions included “struggle for democracy(민주화투쟁)” and “democratic revolution in South Korea(한국민주혁명)”. Documentations thereafter record this as “people’s uprising”, “incomplete revolution(미완의 혁명)”, “movement for democracy(민주화운동)” and “April Revolution(4월혁명)”. In Japan, the April Revolution is known as a movement towards democracy, a “movement for democracy” or “democracy revolution(민주혁명)”.