1920년대 신지식인층의 유교 비판과 유교계의 지도기관 설립

Abstract

In the early 1920s, the Korean Confucian literati, who had been living in the countryside pretending to be hermits since the Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty, resumed their activities. Their extreme actions were often reported in the newspapers. They demanded the closure of a newspaper company and the resignation of the president, held large general meetings in Seoul, called for revision of the naming of old Emperor Gojong, and strongly criticized a history book written by Kim Taek-young. Why did this happen in the early 1920s? To approach this problem, three questions must be considered: What were the differences between Confucianism criticism in the early 1920s and before?; Why did “new intellectuals” criticize Confucianism and the Confucian literati?; and, How did the Confucian literati respond to this criticism? In the early 1920s, Confucianism was criticized by new intellectuals both in the fields of ethics and morality and of practicality. It was regarded as an obstacle to revolution and reformation. Dong-A-ilbo-sa and Gye-byeok-sa, among nationalist groups, and the Seoul Youth Association, among socialist groups, led this criticism. In response to this criticism, the Confucian literati needed an organization to appeal against the injustice done to them and to protect their rights. As a result, Yurim-chongbu(儒林總部) was established in 1922 as the headquarters of the Confucian literati. The sudden activities of the Confucian literati in the early 1920s were triggered in reaction against the revolutionary atmosphere in colonial Joseon. Keywords: 1920s, colonial Joseon, revolution and reaction, Confucian literati, new intellectuals, Yurim-chongbu