한반도에서의 근대화와 남북한에서의 유교전통문화 수용과 극복

• Published in: 백산학보, 0(85) pp. 175 - 202
• Main Author: 정영순
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 백산학회 01.12.2009
• Subjects: 역사학
• ISSN: 1225-7109

We cannot discuss East Asian values without considering Confucianism, whether it is regarded as positive or negative. Although Confucianism has lost much of its power and influence in the shadows of modern Western ideas rather than entering the modern world through self-innovation, it is still obvious that we need to discuss Confucianism in any consideration of East Asian values. Although Confucianism has ceded some authority in terms of the significance of politics and economics, it remains positioned as a powerful idea in the mentality of the East Asians, especially Koreans. Despite the current differences between the North and South Koreas, it is undeniable that the in-depth characteristics of social culture of both Koreas are closely connected to Confucianism, the main traditional culture of the Joseon Dynasty. In this sense, analyzing the connectedness of Marxism factor and traditional cultural factor in the political ideas of North Korea, and revealing the Confucian traditions of South Korean society are very important when acknowledging the differences between North and South Korea, and trying to understand each by identifying their common factors. This is because the characteristics of the social and political structures of North and South Korea are connected to the political and cultural heritage of the Joseon Dynasty in many ways. It was pointed out that the familism factor in South Korea remained strong in the process of modernization after Korean Liberation. In addition, the idea of emphasizing self-reliance in North Korean politics does criticize some traditions, but also makes an effort to inherit the traditional Korean heritage through a rejection of the mainstream attitudes of Korean Confucianism, and by inheriting an innovative stream of Korean Confucianism. This study sought to observe the prominent characteristics of both South and North Koreas, and considered the relationship between South Korea and Confucian traditions in terms of the familism, connected to North Korean traditions in terms of self-reliance. It is thought that even if the same subject for analysis is applied to both Koreas, similarities can be found. Despite having been separated for around 60 years, both Koreas had been one nation for more than a thousand years. KCI Citation Count: 0