1991년의 의미: 자유주의의 문제일까? 백승욱, 『1991년 잊힌 퇴조의 출발점: 자유주의적 전환의 실패와 촛불의 오해』 (북콤마, 2022)

Abstract

This study approaches the historical significance of 1991, a year that has been overlooked, in the context of post-1987 historical events through the research book “The Forgotten Starting Point of 1991: The Failure of Liberalistic Transition and Misunderstandings of Candlelight Protests.” While there is debate about whether 1991 represents a liberalistic transition or a passive revolution, I find a kind of consensus that 1991 was a significant turning point, and criticize the narrow perspective of isolating 1991. Historically, 1991 should be understood in the continuity of 1987 and 1997, and viewed from the perspectives of organic movements and conjunctural movements in order to comprehensively grasp its significance. From the perspective of organic movements, 1991 can be seen as a period of 10 years before and after 1997, characterized by a neoliberal economic system, with discernible patterns. However, from the perspective of conjunctural movements, the unpredictable dynamics of political forces surrounding the “liberalistic transition” can complicate the historical contingency of 1991. The integrated perspective of organic movements and conjunctural movements presented in this paper allows for a balanced assessment of the historical significance of 1991 without overestimation of the difference. Based on these research findings, we can similarly approach the transitions of 2022 with a balanced perspective.