근대시기 동양평화에 대한 두 시각 − 안중근과 박영철을 중심으로 −

Abstract

Both An, Joonggeun and Park, Youngcheol lived in similar innovative time period from the enlightenment times through the Japanese colonial era. Even though they had the same resolution to pour their energy on national sovereignty and oriental peace, their opinions and activities were contrary. While An aimed the gun at the heart of Japanese imperialism with the belief that Japanses empire hindered Korea's independence and the Oriental Peace, Park willingly joined the heart of the imperialism with the belief that Japan could enhance Korean civilization and the Oriental peace. They had commonly developed their visions about oriental peace on the basis of the theory of social evolution focusing on the survival of the fittest and the weak-to-the-wall kind of society that had been prevalent since 19th century. Furthermore, their logics were based on racism combined with the social evolution theory. Although the two men lived in the same era, their spirit of the times were quite different. An considered that the Japanese extortion of Korean sovereignty caused the corruption of peace of the East. On the other hand, Park believed that peaceful age came by way of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity constructed by the union of Korea and Japan. Especially Park put higher value on Japanese modern civilization than Korean sovereignty and also insisted Korea should take Japanese case as its model.