Korea’s Education Enthusiasm during the Modern Transition

Abstract

Education enthusiasm is a social value that stimulates passion for learning. In previous studies on the enthusiasm for education, the succession and disconnection of pre-modern and modern times were debated, but the current mainstream argument seems to be that the two fundamentally differ in character. This paper begins with the premise that intellectual tradition is persistent, even if it is not invariable. The purpose of this paper was to demonstrate from historical sources a likely origin of talent development in the context of intellectual history. This study analyzed the rapid change of the modern transition period by examining literary anthologies (文集) from the late Joseon Dynasty and at newspaper articles in the modern era. In addition, as it spanned both eras, analysis focused on keywords that could reflect each era, connecting the two by presenting a keyword-based framework and comparing the structure across eras. The idea of gohak (苦學) was evaluated through depictions of 'studying diligently even in a poor environment' in both eras. Next, the keywords were extracted by examining the post-war process of gohak (苦學), focusing on the late Joseon literary anthologies (文集) and modern newspaper articles that described examples of gohak (苦學). The results can be summarized into four categories: (material and relative) ① poverty (貧), ② struggle (苦), ③ achievement (成), and ④ enthusiasm (熱). Next, I highlighted the justification for connecting and driving each key word in terms of individual, group, and society. After that, the virtuous cycle of ① poverty (貧) → ② struggle (苦) → ③ achievement (成) → ④ enthusiasm (熱) → (① poverty(貧) → ② struggle (苦)……) was examined. In addition, as a result of searching for the common denominator in values between the late Joseon Dynasty and modern times, the elements of Confucianism were found. Through two types of proof, extraction and horizontal + longitudinal analysis, this study supports the idea that the educational enthusiasm of the late Joseon Dynasty has impacted modern times. However, this study notes differences between the view of poverty (貧) in each era, which is an important factor of success. Intellectuals in the late Joseon Dynasty were in a position to recognize poverty; on the other hand, modern international students were in a position to overcome poverty. The minor ideological differences regarding poverty have significant consequences. The keen sense of poverty as a negative during the modern era spurred pursuit of the goal of economic growth, unlike the situation at the end of the Joseon Dynasty. However, social changes in the modern era made the division between generations inevitable, as society developed differently than in the era where social circles were constant. In terms of ideological stability, Joseon Dynasty values were learned from childhood through filial piety (孝) and affection (慈), and heterogeneous ideologies were suppressed at the community level. However, many historical records suggest that the sense of respect between seniors and subordinates has become thinner in modern times-perhaps a cause of generational conflict today. Historians must now contribute to social integration.