1950년대 엘리트 지식인들의 국가주의적 민족주의 담론

The Nationality Discourse of the Intellectuals in the 1950s

Right after the solitary government was founded, and through the Korean war period, the State-Corporatism Nationality discourse, which had served as the most influential Nationalist discourse among intellectuals and had theoretical State studies and State Law studies as its theoretical basis, continued to have relevance through the latter half of the 1950s. This State-base Nationality discourse criticized the shortcomings of the Western world’s Freedom discourse and Capitalism, and wanted to utilize traditions and Eastern cultures in resolving the dilemmas of the West, and wanted to spread their arguments with their criticism of U.S. culture and their notions of preserving the traditional culture of Korea. But such attempt was only trying to solve a structural problem of the society with a person’s individual intentions and determination and enlightenment, and therefore ended up ultimately legitimizing “modern states” and their “power.” Solution to poverty, gaps between the poor and the wealthy, inequality in international relationships and the dilemma between freedom and equality, were all downgraded as problems that should and could be solved with the individuals’ subordination to the state and the development of a ‘moral state.’ This discourse was what ultimately enabled the May 16th Coup, as it provided a philosophical platform in terms of leadership, and ended up formulating a State-centered Nationalist discourse favored by the government.