변법개화파의 근대 자주국가수립론

The progressive reformists’ theory of the establishment of a modern sovereign state

Progressive reformists intended to both protect the sovereignty of the nation and to bring about changes in Chosun dynasty through which a modern nation-state could be established. The framework of the foreign policy was to employ a public law system, enter into treaties with other nation-states in the world, and secure the sovereignty of the nation by declaring neutrality. This, however, was never a practical plan that has any binding power in reality where the weak are the prey of the strong and the law of the survival of the fittest governs as in the world. So, the progressive reformists pursued a political social reformation based on the break up of the feudal system. Also, they pursued the establishment of modern monarchism and western modern constitutional monarchy which is totally different from the existing feudal government structure by reorganizing the political system. However, switching over to a new system cannot be done without the necessary physical power to break the power of the existing politics. Thus, to maintain cooperation with the established feudal lordship, the progressive reformists promoted to develop a transitional political system in which the then existing monarchism with a king in the center of it and the parliamentary government were mixed. This was intended to overthrow the preexistent ruling power and to separate the kingship and the power of the state which were regarded as one under the feudal system, through which they could establish a constitutional state. Therefore, the political system that the progressive reformists visualized in a practical way was a modern constitutional monarchial system that is more of a form of a transitional early parliamentary government which allowed people a limited participation in politics rather than a parliamentary government in the western.