한국의 보훈제도 역사와 보훈문화의 선진화과제

Abstract

While there are only a handful of academic subjects with a history as long as that of veterans affairs, it has been sidelined by seemingly more institutionalized and professionalized fields such as institution studies, war theory, and specific areas of the military. In order to transform knowledge of veteran affairs into an academic field of its own right, it must first be comprehensively institutionalized through an interaction with other fields such as military science, political science, sociology, statecraft, public administration, history and cultural anthropology through scientific methods. Of course, contents such as war veterans who have sacrificed for the state, returned soldiers, social security pension, and instillation of patriotism through active state memorialization must be included. The aim of this study is to overview the institution of Korean veterans affairs and suggest new and more advanced ways to cultivatea culture of veteran affairs. In order to do so, I will first go through particularities of veteran affairs in other major countries, analyze the historic process of institutionalization including the origins of universal conscription system, and discuss new and concrete ways of establishing advanced culture of veteran affairs.