[KS] Chuch'e

[michael Robinson]

Dear Ruediget and all:

We need to remember as well that juche was being used in a number of
different meanings in the first decade of the 20th century.  I'm not sure
"nation-centered subjectivity" would be the best translation of its meaning
as used by Sin Ch'aeho or others as they searched for words to describe
independence, autonomy, self-development etc.  I would counsel caution on
quick application of "subjectivity" that have emerged more recently in our
understanding of group/self identity and its relationship with political
ideology and nation.  Luckily more work is emerging on early 20thcentury
intellectual history and influence of Japanese and Chinese writing on the
development of Korean thought.

Mike R.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Charles Rd K Armstrong" <cra10 at columbia.edu>
To: <Koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2002 8:01 AM
Subject: Re: [KS] Chuch'e


> Dear Ruediger,
>
> Dr. Petrov's statement is correct, but I doubt that Paek Nam-un's speech
> had much to do with the formation of juche ideology in North Korea, except
> by analogy -- that is, in retrospect we can see that the highly mobilized
> society of post-Korean War North Korea uses a similar rhetoric to wartime
> Japan. The notion of juche does have roots in early East Asian ideas of
> nation-centered subjectivity. Bruce Cumings argues that juche is a kind of
> negative response to Japanese kokutai ("national essence") the rallying
> point of pre-war and wartime Japanese patriotism and militarism. See
> Cumings' article on The Corporate State in North Korea in Hagen Koo's book
> State and Society in Contemporary Korea (Cornell University Press, 1993).
> Shutaisei (juchesong in Korean pronunciation) and its meaning was the
> subject of much philosophical discussion in 1920s Japan; see for example
> Harry Harootunion and Tetsuo Najita's chapter on Overcoming Modernity in
> Cambridge History of Japan, or for a more extended treatment Harootunian's
> recent book Overcoming Modernity. I'm sure there are others on this list
> with more expertise in Japanese intellectual history who could discuss
> that subject more extensively. Best,
>
> Charles
>
>  On Mon, 11 Feb 2002, Leonid Petrov wrote:
>
> > Dear Frank,
> >
> > In April 1941, the founder of the Marxist Socio-economic school of
historiography, Paek Nam-un, gave a public lecture titled "The Morality of
Regulated Economy". One section of his lecture was titled "T'ongje-Ui
chuch'e-wa sinch'eje-Ui sOngkkyOk" [The Subject of Control and the Nature of
the New System]. There Paek argued that Korea [uri kukch'e] must become a
subject [chuch'e] of the new Japanese economic control and therefore help
the Japanese people [ilbon kungmin] fulfill the Emperor's policy on the
creation of the country's invincible might [kUmgu mugyOl].
> >
> > We can see that in this piece the word "chuch'e" was used in its
original meaning -- "subject" -- albeit a little bit broadened by the
fascism-tilting author.
> >
> > This lecture was given at the Keijo Daiwa Hall, the usual venue for
"patriotic" events held in the Japanese-occupied Seoul.[1] Paek also argued
for successful creation of the Japan-Manchuria-China bloc in East Asia as
was suggested by the "Eight Corners under One Roof" [hakko ichiu] motto. He
also compared the merits of Japanese economic system (which he unequivocally
called "our national economy") with that of Germany and Italy. Paek claimed
that, from the moral point of view, the Japanese economic model, based on
the Imperial system, was far more advanced than those implemented by some
"prominent leaders" in Europe.[2] Despite the timid criticism of
over-regulation and rising prices, Paek called upon his countrymen to
mobilize all national resources and prepare themselves for the extremes of
wartime economy.
> >
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
> >
> > [1] Paek Nam-un, 'Tosei Keizai-no Rinrisei' [The Morality of Regulated
Economy], Toyo-no Hikari, (June 1942), No. 4-6.
> >
> > [2] Paek Nam-un, 'T'ongje KyOngje-Ui YullisOng' [The Morality of
Regulated Economy], Ha Il-sik, trans., Hwip'yOn. Paek Nam-un ChOnjip 4.,
Seoul: Iron-gwa Silch'On, 1991, pp.282-284.
> >
> > With best regards,
> >
> > LEONID A. PETROV
> > Division of Pacific and Asian History
> > Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies
> > The Australian National University
> > ****************************************
> > Mob: +61-403076604
> > Tel:   +61(2) 6125 3172 (office)
> > Fax:  +61(2) 6125 5525 (office)
> > E-mail: petrov at coombs.anu.edu.au
> > WWW: http://north-korea.narod.ru
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Ruediger Frank" <rfrank at eplus-online.de>
> > To: <Koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
> > Sent: Friday, February 08, 2002 8:03 PM
> > Subject: [KS] Chuch'e
> >
> >
> > > Dear list,
> > >
> > > I am currently writing an article on the political system of North
Korea
> > > for a German university textbook. Needless to say that in the course
of
> > > this work I have to deal with the term Chuch'e.
> > >
> > > As far as I remember having heard, a philosophical term called
Shutaisei
> > > (Chuch'esOng) has already been used by the Japanese in the 1920s, long
> > > before Kim Il-sOng introduced Chuch'e in his speech to the
propagandists of
> > > the Nodongdang on December 28, 1955. Is that correct? And if yes, in
which
> > > context has it been used before?
> > >
> > > Thanks a lot for your help.
> > >
> > > Best regards,
> > >
> > > Ruediger Frank
> > > ***********************
> > > Ruediger FRANK
> > > Humboldt-University Berlin
> > > Korea Institute
> > > Fon: +49-30-55 99 878
> > > Fax: +49-30-2093-6666
> > > e-mail: ruediger.frank at rz.hu-berlin.de
> > > Web: http://www2.hu-berlin.de/korea
> > > ***********************
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>
>
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