『東方戰友』를 통해 본 李斗山의 국제연대 인식과 활동

Abstract

As the Sino-Japanese War broke out, Korean independence activists that worked in China during Japanese colonial rule of Korea started a Korean-Chinese joint struggle. Some of them directly took part in the Sino-Japanese War, however, some of them sought for the Korean-Chinese joint struggle supporting anti-Japanese propaganda activity. The figure representing the latter was Lee Doo-San. Doo-San Lee concentrated his energy on anti-Japanese propaganda activity including literary art, lecture, and others. Settling in Guanzhou, Canton, China in 1930s, he participated in the left nationalist organization like Chosun National Revolutionary party. As Guanzhou was occupied by Japanese imperialism in October, 1938, he worked in the headquarters of Korean Volunteer Army in Wuzhou and Guilin, Guangxi as a hub and carried out anti-Japanese propaganda activity which targeted the Chinese people and the people from foreign countries. Lee’s Doo-San representative anti-Japanese activity was the publication of “The Orient Comrade” in the middle of the fierce political propaganda offensive of the two countries, China and Japan due to the prolonged Sino-Japanese War. The first edition of “The Orient Comrade” was published in The Orient Comrade Society in January, 1939, and 32 editions were published for 3 years and 4 months till April, 1942. As the magazine noted the matter of liberation of the oppressed people of a small and weak with Chinese armed resistance to Japanese imperialism and Korea revolution as a center, it called on them to participate in the international solidarity in East Asia led by China. Leading figures from all levels of society contributed articles to the magazine, however, Lee Doo-San contributed more articles than any other leading figures to the magazine. He wrote about 60 articles in the magazine and constantly tried to introduce his recognition to the people through the medium of “The Orient Comrade”. Propagating the theory of Korean-Chinese joint struggle behind, Lee Doo-San supported the front-line activities. Facing “the new system in East Asia” of Japanese imperialism, he clarified that China held a central position in East Asia and every country in East Asia was bound together by a common destiny. Propagating “as the Sino-Japanese War was prolonged, China gradually surpassed the enemy in the war situation and Japan got in a disadvantageous position.”, he clarified Chinese national capacity and status and persuaded every country in East Asia to participate in the international solidarity led by China. he tried to let them know that Korea started the Korean-Chinese joint struggle and Korea led the international solidarity in East Asia. For this, unravelling the perception of “Koreans were a mere tool of Japanese imperialism.”, he introduced the reality of Japanese colonial rule and Korean independence movement to every country. He actively propagated the activities of Joseon Volunteer Army as an example of the Korean-Chinese joint struggle. Facing the change of situation including Wang Chingwei’s recognition of Manchukuo, he persuasively propagated reinforcement of the Korean-Chinese joint struggle. As Japanese imperialism advocated the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere in 1940 and carried out the southward advance policy, he sought for the joint struggle with the people of a small and weak in Southeast Asia. Particularly, he noted the solidarity with Vietnam. As Vietnamese independence activists gathered in Guilin, his base, he associated with them and carried their principle propaganda in “The orient Comrade”. Also he delivered his opinion to the Vietnamese National Liberation Alliance. As the Vietnamese independence activists sympathized with his opinion and proposed a solidarity with a body for Korean independence movement, his opinion got to be the basis of expanding and strengthening the Korean-Vietnamese joint struggle.