Nomadism and the Discovery of the Nation: The Case of Yun Chiho

Nomadism and the Discovery of the Nation: The Case of Yun Chiho

The so-called National Character Revision movement (Minjokseong gaejoundong) has been criticized by the majority scholars for its character being much too lenient towards Japanese rule in Korea. The movement has been rendered as an attempt which only produced useless speeches rather than activating the independence movements against Japanese imperial rule. While the most well-known figure of the movement was Choonwon Lee, Kwangsoo, Yun Chiho also received these criticisms. Scholars such as Suh Joongseok and Kim Dohoon assail Yun saying that, “Although he once had been a good citizen, he turned into Ito Chikau, a faithful member of the Japanese empire by the moment of his death.”With such a harsh evaluation in mind, the writer raises the question whether or not such stigmatization is fair against the National Character Revision movement. Is the motive of this movement so obvious, that it provides more than enough reason for turning a man such as Yun into a traitor? Are not these men mere individuals rather than components of the National Character Revision movement? These questions seem more valid when one realizes that Yun had not been so “Japan-friendly” throughout his life. The writer analyzes the course of Yun’s life utilizing the concept of “Nomadism” in order to provide an answer to this problem.

The so-called National Character Revision movement (Minjokseong gaejoundong) has been criticized by the majority scholars for its character being much too lenient towards Japanese rule in Korea. The movement has been rendered as an attempt which only produced useless speeches rather than activating the independence movements against Japanese imperial rule. While the most well-known figure of the movement was Choonwon Lee, Kwangsoo, Yun Chiho also received these criticisms. Scholars such as Suh Joongseok and Kim Dohoon assail Yun saying that, “Although he once had been a good citizen, he turned into Ito Chikau, a faithful member of the Japanese empire by the moment of his death.”With such a harsh evaluation in mind, the writer raises the question whether or not such stigmatization is fair against the National Character Revision movement. Is the motive of this movement so obvious, that it provides more than enough reason for turning a man such as Yun into a traitor? Are not these men mere individuals rather than components of the National Character Revision movement? These questions seem more valid when one realizes that Yun had not been so “Japan-friendly” throughout his life. The writer analyzes the course of Yun’s life utilizing the concept of “Nomadism” in order to provide an answer to this problem.