해방기 공간 상상력의 전이와 ‘태평양’의 문화정치학

Abstract

With the break up of old empire territory, the migration of people in large scale to Korean peninsula and demarcation of the 38 line by world political situation, a matter of space has come up to the surface in ‘post-colonial’ period. It is worth of note in terms that modern nation state is not completed until it occupies the exclusive national territory. During this period, the one of the characteristic things in spatial discourse produced in south Korea was a rediscovery of the sea or ocean and it went through the cultural political procedure. It was made to give a new significance. In colonial view about Korean history, the being of peninsula is regarded to one of the most important determinants by which Korean history has been always depended on other countries. But in this ‘Post-colonial’ period, it has become to be taken geographical benefit by which Korea can make connection with both continent and ocean. But after establishment of South Korean government under 38 line, the affinity to ocean has been much emphasized compared to that of the continent. And The sea is devided into <the territorial waters> and <the open sea>. The one is the place where the sovereignty of modern nation state has its validity, and the other belongs to all nation state in principle. Within this process, this article has found that the Pacific obtains new meaning in contrast to colonial period. The momentum of new meaning comes from three directions. First, New discourse of the Pacific has broken the old connection of <The great Asia(Japan)- Pacific ocean> in ealry 1940's. And it makes a new connection of <America-Pacific ocean> as the place where the Democracy gains its victory in the end. Second, The Pacific is settled into the narrative of honorable origin as the holly place where the fight for Nation's independence has taken. Simultaneously, the Pacific ocean has correlation with the narrative of suffering during the Pacific war. So it has been located in the middle at the network of meaning that has has been colored by the Nation state discourse. Finally, the most dramatic signification of the Pacific begins with the Cold war which has been accelerated after the communization of China in 1949. The sign of the Pacific -where many poor countries are located- has been changed as the place to be preserved in the competition of USSR in the terms of bloc theory. The Pacific was regarded as <the sea of race> before no more than several years. But it quickly gains new meaning as <the sea of ideology>. In a word, the Pacific was the sign connected directly America as a global power which make the new spatial order of East-Asia after 1945, so called ‘Post-colonial’ world.