식민지 조선에서 ‘불구자’ 개념의 형성과 그 성격

Abstract

This study analyzed the history of the term “pulguja,” which refers to the disabled in colonial Korea, as well as its character. During the colonial period, modern social service facilities were introduced although they were insufficient, and all kinds of statistical data were collected with regard to the disabled and released by the media. Moreover, various discourses related to the disabled were conducted for introducing foreign policies or movements for the disabled, which led to a perception of the disabled as a collective category in Korea. The term “pulguja” was first introduced through Japan at the time, replacing the term “pyǒnsin (sick body),” which had been used since the late 19th century to refer to the disabled. However, the term “pulguja” could not completely replace “pyǒnsin,” and both terms began to be used together. The term “pyǒnsin” mostly appeared in articles related to events and incidents depicting discrimination against the disabled by the public, whereas the term “pulguja” appeared mostly when referring to modern systems or policies related to the disabled. Despite this, “pulguja” did not completely eradicate discrimination against the disabled because the two terms, “pulguja” and “pyǒnsin,” were often used interchangeably. The term “pulguja” involved a discriminatory perception mostly because of the influence of eugenics. The eugenics perspective that had become widespread in the Chosŏn society of the 1920s-30s positioned the “pulguja” as an inferior kind of people who must be removed, and nationalistic intellectuals contributed to the growth of such eugenic discourse. While the term “pyǒnsin,” which had been handed down from premodern society, contained a derogation of the personality of the disabled as a target of belittlement and ridicule, the modern term “pulguja” symbolized the colonized people and opened up a new horizon to understand disability as a socioeconomic product rather than as a personal attribute. However, it reinforced the discriminative perspective toward the disabled by positioning them as inferior people who must be erased from society.