[KS] Yusin

Baker Don ubcdbaker at hotmail.com
Fri Jan 20 01:16:30 EST 2006


I'm surprized that no one else on this list pointed out this time around 
that Park Chung-hee may have borrowed the word "Yusin" from the Japanese. 
The same two Chinese characters were used to characterize the "restoration" 
of imperial rule in Japan in 1868. Gari Ledyard pointed out in a message to 
this list in 2000 that Park may not necessarily have been imitating the 
Japanese, since those two characters have long been used in China in the 
positive sense of revitalizing reforms. However, given Park's experience in 
the Japanese military, I'd be surprized if he were ignorant of that 
relatively recent Japanese use of that term. I suspect he used that term to 
show that he wanted to do with Korea what the Meiji oligarchs did with 
Japan, that is, turn it into a rich and powerful nation. 


Don Baker
Associate Professor, 
Department of Asian Studies
Director, Centre for Korean Research
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z2
dbaker at interchange.ubc.ca




>From: "Susana Luengo" <susanaluengo at hotmail.com>
>Reply-To: Korean Studies Discussion List <Koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
>To: Koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws
>Subject: Re: [KS] question
>Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 02:58:40 +0000
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>I understand the meaning of "Yushin" under the umbrella of the 
revitalising reforms undertaken during the 70's decade, meaning an increase 
of the heavy industry. The word itself does not entail negative, evenmore, 
it has a positive meaning: renewing, revitalising
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>From:  "Alon Levkowitz" <levko at smile.net.il>
>Reply-To:  Korean Studies Discussion List 
<Koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
>To:  <Koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
>Subject:  [KS] question
>Date:  Wed, 18 Jan 2006 22:24:21 +0200
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>Dear group.
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>I would like to consult the group about a word - Yushin (Yusin). Was the 
term Yushin for the yushin constitution under Park's
>regime was chosen for a specific goal. Does the word, without the 
problematic
>applications of the constitution by Park, means positive or
>negative?
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>Thanks
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>Alon
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>Dr. Alon Levkowitz
>Email: levko at smile.net.il
>Tel/Fax: 972-3-6133045
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