쏘련을 향하여 배우라 ― 1945~1948년 朝蘇文化協會의 조직과 활동

Abstract

This paper analyzes North Korea's state-building process in the viewpoint of 'cultural construction', by studying Korea-Soviet Cutural Association(KSCA)'s organization and activities from 1945 to 1948. Soviet Union's culture had an important impact on the making of North Korea’s culture during the 'state-building period', and KSCA functioned as North Korea's key channel to accept and study Soviet's culture. This research examines KSCA's overall organization and activities, analyzing the reason why North Korean regime tried to propagate Soviet's culture and their experiences in socialistic nation building. KSCA started as a friendship organization between Soviet armed forces and Korean leaders right after Soviet's occupation of north of the 38th parallel. KSCA changed its identity as a cultural exchange organization after 'trusteeship crisis' of early 1946, setting up branch offices in North Korea's major cities, publishing magazines, and establishing relationship with Soviet’s All-Union Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries (VOKS). At this time, KSCA aimed to be an intelligentsia-oriented group professionally researching and popularizing Soviet's culture. However, KSCA's character fundamentally changed due to North Korea's political changes around late 1946 to early 1947. North Korean regime initiated 'ovement for Mobilizing Nation-Founding Ideology (Kunguk Sasang Chongdongwon Woondong)' to promote the people's reformation of thoughts. North Korean people's active participation was a key to succeed in these nation-building works, and propagating Soviet's 'advanced culture' and their historical experiences would be a great impetus for the regime to motivate the people. As a result, North Korean regime transformed KSCA from intelligentsia-centered group to mass organization embracing hundred thousands of peasants and laborers as members. In conclusion, KSCA played a key role in ideology education of North Koreans by using Soviet culture. Most of socialist countries also had similar kinds of friendship associations with the Soviet Union, but their functions were limited in the field of cultural exchanges. On the other hand, KSCA actively collaborated with North Korea's national tasks of liquidating colonial inheritance and constructing new culture, showing clear differences over the other socialist countries' friendship associations.