개화 지식인들의 조혼(早婚)에 대한 인식- 『독립신문』의 논설을 중심으로

Abstract

Examined in this article are the editorials of Dokrib Shinmun, known as the Independence Newspaper, in order to determine what kind of parameters the ‘enlightened’ intellectuals had in their perception of ‘the custom of getting married at youth,’ and how they discussed the matter. In the history of all the discussions that happened concerning this matter, the editorials of Dokrib Shinmun were where the image of “Early Marriages,” as a custom of an underdeveloped and uncivilized society, was established for the first time, and stuck for quite a while. In the 1886 editorial of Dokrib Shinmun, the marriage customs of the Western world were considered as rational ones, while the problems of the customary practices of Joseon were listed in a negative manner. It was also argued that the problems caused by ‘the custom of getting married at youth’should be corrected, based upon Western standards. In the discussion of this editorial, the reality of the Joseon society and the reasons behind such practice was never diagnosed, and it was only suggested that the customs of Joseon should be changed to become more like those of the Western world. In the following editorials of 1888 and 1889, the tone of the 1886 editorial remained,while it was also newly emphasized that ‘the custom of getting married at youth’ would be harmful to the people involved, the ‘newlyweds.’ The angle of ‘aspiring for a civilized state’ was a little bit toned down, and the post-1905discussion evolved into a new direction, which emphasized the “Problems of Early Marriages.”Concentrating upon the objective of achieving a wealthy country and a powerful military, by reaching the state of a civilized society, the intellectuals only emphasized the negative aspects of ‘getting married at youth’ and educated it to the public while never meticulously examining the reality of Joseon. As a result, “Early Marriages” became the symbol of the underdeveloped Joseon society.