1930년대 ‘자력갱생’론의 연원과 식민지 지배 이데올로기화

‘Self-Help’ of Colonial Korea in the 1930’s

The purpose of this paper is to study the origin of ‘self-help(自力更生)’, slogan of The Rural Revitalization Campaign(農村振興運動) of Colonial Korea in the 1930’s. Specifically, I try to relate the concept of ‘self-help’ with the discourse on ‘self-help’ of Colonial Korea in the 1920’s and the Meiji period of Japan. ‘self-help’ itself is the keyword of Self-Help written by Samuel Smiles in 1859. Self-Help was all about the individual who succeeded in business with diligence and endurance. I found that ‘self-help’, which came from the keyword of Self-Help, was used by The Japanese Government-General of Korea(朝鮮總督府) in the 1930’s. That is to say, the meaning of ‘self-help’ is similar to one’s personal success(立身成功) during Colonial Korea in the 1920’s and the Meiji period of Japan. There were some reasons why ‘self-help’ had been selected by The Japanese Government-General of Korea in the 1930’s. The first reason was that ‘self-help’ had been used as a ruling ideology at The Revitalizing National Mental Campaign (國民精神作興運動) of Japan in 1923. It was also used as a ruling ideology of The Revitalizing National Mental Campaign and The Rural Revitalization Campaign of Colonial Korea in 1932. In short, ‘self-help’, as a ruling ideology of The Japanese Government-General of Korea in the 1930’s, was affected by Japan in 1923. The other reason is that ‘self-help’ had meant the same thing as one’s personal success in the 1920’s. When Nakamura Masanao(中村正直) translated Self-Help by Samuel Smiles, to Japanese -Saikokurissihen(西國立志編: 原名 自助論)- in 1871, it was regarded as a guide book to lead one’s personal success. But when Self-Help was translated into Korean in the late Great Han Empire period, it was’t regarded as a guide book to lead one’s personal success like in the Meiji period of Japan. At that time, the concept of ‘self-help’, the keyword of Self-Help, had the same meaning as the concept of ‘Self-Strengthening(自强)’ of the late Great Han Empire period. In 1920’s, it was finally changed to mean one’s personal success. To be brief, There were two reasons that ‘self-help’ had been selected by The Japanese Government-General of Korea in the 1930’s. One thing is the relationship between the colonial motherland of Japan and Colonial Korea. A ruling ideology in Japan was able to impact Colonial Korean society since Japan had occupied Korea in 1910. The other thing is an international aspect in Colonial Korea. Before ‘self-help’ was selected as a ruling ideology by the Government-General of Korea in the 1930’s, it had been used by the people of a different position in Colonial Korea, from Colonial Korea intellectuals to the powers of The Japanese Government-General of Korea. Although they were all in different positions, both of them did not deny that the concept of ‘self-help’ had the same meaning as one’s personal success. In conclusion, ‘self-help’ was the most important international aspect in Colonial Korea that The Japanese Government-General of Korea had selected in the 1930’s.