해방 이후 김구의 정치이념과 자유주의

Abstract

This article examines the political ideas of Kim Koo, who has recently emerged as the rising national leader after 1987’s democratization. From his early days, Kim Goo was influenced by various ideas, such as Confucianism, Donghak (Eastern Science), Wejungchuksa (theory of the expulsion in the West), Christianity, and Jakangron (theory of making state strong by itself). Since the 1930s, he has identified himself with Samgunism, which combined liberalism, socialism and traditional ideas. Politically, he held the idea of private liberty, such as freedom of residence, communication, faith, and thought as well as personal liberty. At the same time, he maintained the idea of public liberty, such as the freedom of speech, publication, meeting, and association, free and equal election, enacting law by people, and separation of three powers. Economically, he embraced the idea of nationalization for land and big corporation and supported the program of planned economy, even though holding the idea of private ownership for small business. Socially, he complied with compulsory education, full employment, and labor protection by the state. These findings suggest that we can identify Kim Goo with liberalism in political aspects and socialism or social democracy in socio-economic aspects. However, he did not espouse the ideology itself but the method in socialism or social democracy. It is found that he has conflicted with the socialists for long time and engaged in the idea of strong egalitarianism. Finally, this study concludes that he was a politician who adopts Western ideology in the necessity of Korean situation.