1930년대 평북 선천의 교육ㆍ산업과 기독교

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine Christianity in the northwest district and the relation between Korean Christianity and educationㆍindustry through the case of Suncheon, Pyeonganbuk-do in the 1930s. The outcome of the study is expected to serve as a clue to trace things behind the effects of Korean Christianity on the modernization of a certain area. The case of Suncheon which surpassed Seoul and Pyeongyang in terms of the proportion of churches and believers and thus was called the “Kingdom of Christianity” constitutes a good example in understanding the growth and features of the west district and Korean Christianity at the time. The relation between Christianity and educationㆍindustry in Suncheon is well presented in the author of 『Suncheon Survey』 Park Geun-myeong's cynical comment: “Christians today are elated and pleased as if they achieved a triumph in all areas. They encourage education and are involved in commerce. Some of them who graduated from mission school are employed in the areas related to churches, and merchants prosper thanks to customers who are Christians.” This comment, of course, was made without considering people's religious motive, but is considered to reflect the fact to a certain extent. Christianity, education and industry constituted three areas that moved Suncheon. Especially people living within the town needed to be included in the circular structure of the three areas not to achieve their religious aim but to satisfy their secular desires, such as learning, making money and being an influential person in the town. In the meantime, in the wake of “105 Men Accident” and “Suncheon Police Station Bombing Accident” the national movement was restrained. Although this was understandable, the efforts of the Suncheon Christian circle to fundamentally resolve the system of landowner and tenant and other problems of the rural community were rarely found. This was probably because many of churches and Christians were landlords. In addition, as for the industrial development, the local commerce and industry remained sluggish. Even Suncheon electric company which thrived by native capital was taken over by Japan. Those who were Christian and representative wealthy people of Suncheon were partly responsible for that. As a result, Suncheon in the 1930s is considered as the “Kingdom of Christianity” where ethnic dynamics and progressiveness were in education and industry were rarely found.