지역담론의 재인식과 ‘트랜스시스템사회(跨體系社會)’로서의 만주

Abstract

Focusing on Wang Hui's concept of trans-systemic society, this study examines the content and direction of local research he presents, and makes it a task to review its meaning and limitations through his ‘view of Manchuria(满洲)'. After pointing out the problems of various researchers' regional discourses, Wang Hui uses the concept of ‘trans-systemic society’ to emphasize that ‘China as a region’ has a unique system that is open and flexible, different from the Western nation state. According to him, unlike a nation-state system that homogenizes, unifies, and has clear boundaries that distinguish you from me, China is a ‘trans-system’ in which the boundaries are not clear and rather bring mutual exchange and influence. He also uses this concept of ‘trans-system’ as a way to effectively understand the region of ‘Manchuria’ (or ‘Dongbei’). In an article published in 2004 when historical disputes between Korea and China were in full swing over the ‘Northeast Project’ issue, he argues that the issue of Manchuria should be approached in an academic way, not in a political way, and that it should escape from the error of ‘national narrative writing.’ However, in his writings on Manchuria, I was not difficult to find that his discussions are still subordinate to the logic of the nation state system based on international law, and that his concept of trans-system partially exaggerates the actual phenomena of Chinese history. His criticism of nationalism is, in fact, a criticism of nationalism stained with nationalism. In order to truly rewrite the history of ‘Manchuria’ away from ‘national narrative writing’, it must first be able to recognize the history of ‘Manchuria’ as a history shared by all countries that have the region as a historical space in the past, not a specific country. Otherwise, writing the history of Manchuria will always be limited to the history of a specific nation state.