한말 계몽운동기 敎科書 속의 ‘國民’ 인식

Abstract

The discourse of the "nation" was being seriously progressed in the crisis of Taehan Empire which was protectorate by Japan and almost the same as the colony of Japan in 1905. Korean intellectuals focused on the modern education as the most efficient method to formulate and integrate the "nation", and they wrote school textbooks as well as they founded individual schools. Therefore, intellectuals' the conception of the "nation" was reflected in the textbooks which was connected to the image of the "nation" which they would like to form. The term of a "Kungmin"(國民, nation) began to be used universally in that period, even though various terms such as a "minjok"(民族), a "jokmin"(族民), a "inmin"(人民, people), and a "sinmin"'(臣民, subject) were used to designated members of state as well. A "kungmin" was explained as a element of nation-state with land and sovereignty or government. A "sinmin" was frequently used in the textbooks with "kungmin", which was prescribed to have duty to be absolutely loyal and obedient to his monarch. By the way, intellectuals in that period suggested very similar logic and representation to "kokutairon"(國體論, the discourse on the national polity) of Japan so as to formulate "kungmin" as a "sinmin". That is to say, the relation of the emperor and a "sinmin" was the same as a family, so the emperor was a patriarch of a family(家長), and the imperial household was a head of a family(宗家). Therefore, a "sinmin" should be loyal and obedient to his emperor and imperial household just like that a member of a family was absolutely and unconditionally obedient to its patriarch and head of a family. It seems that Korean intellectuals which was in the crisis of losing its sovereignty and independence proposed similar integration theory to Japanese "Kokutairon" in order to restore its sovereignty and establish modern nation-state. The definition of the "nation" in the textbooks was clarified through the right and especially the duty of the "nation", who was endowed human right by the heavens and has basic right of life and property. However, the intellectuals who wrote the textbooks did not mention or took reserved position on political right which was the most important and should have given to the "people" so as to form national identity and a sense of belonging to nation-state. After all, "nation" was forced to be obedient and carried out duties like military service and taxation without the security of political right. In this manner, as Taehan Empire was protectorated by Japan in 1905 and almost losing its sovereignty and independence, intellectuals believed that people's rights couldn't been guaranteed without the existence of their country. As it became universal trend that national rights took precedence over people's rights, people's duties was considered more important than individual rights. This perception was reflected in the textbooks, and the "nation" was defined as a "sinmin" who was obedient and loyal to his monarch and nation-state.