『개벽』에 나타난 1920~1930년대 인도에 대한 조선의 인식

Abstract

When the Qing Dynasty was defeated by Japan in the Sino-Japanese War and the china centric world view collapsed in Joseon, Koreans began to seek understanding of various countries in an international order based on Elements of International Law. As knowledge of world geography and world history spread to Joseon and various ideas and information flowed in from the West, Joseon intellectuals also gradually became interested in India. Like other countries or objects, perceptions of India also have multifaceted aspects. Therefore, looking at the changes in the Koreans perception of India in Japanese colonial era is helpful in understanding the world view and critical awareness of the Korean people at the time, and the direction of social change. In particular, in the reality of colonial Joseon, which was experiencing Japan's oppressive rule, Koreans became very interested in the Indian independence movement and its leaders. The perception of India during the Japanese colonial period is also clearly revealed in 『Gaebyeok』, a representative magazine for intellectuals in the 1920s and 1930s. 『Gaebyeok』 initially mainly consists of descriptions of India abstracted from simple facts about India or the origins of Eastern civilization, but gradually details about India's current political situation and social situation are revealed in the descriptions. In Addition, the authors of 『Gaebyeok』 pursued the need for modernization and advancement of Joseon, emphasizing the backwardness of India's culture, religion, and institutions. And in this process, India was used as a symbol of pre-modernity and uncivilization. However, as time passed, India was gradually recognized as a partner in the same anti-imperialist movement and as an example for Joseon society to follow. In various views ofeditorials in 『Gaebyeok』, Indians were set up as representatives of the world's oppressed peoples, and there was even a perception that the situation in India was evaluated more positively than that of Joseon, or Koreans also had a perception of longing for India. In this way, Joseon intellectuals’ perception of India in 『Gaebyeok』 in the 1920s and 1930s was summoned or consumed in various ways, depending on the political situation within Joseon, the ideological orientation of the writers, and the direction or orientation of the Joseon independence movement.