Journal of East China Normal University (Philosoph ›› 2019, Vol. 51 ›› Issue (6): 80-90.doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5579.2019.06.009

Previous Articles     Next Articles

The Interconnected East Asia and the 1919 Independence Movement of Korea: A Revolution Being Learned

Baik Youngseo   

  • Online:2019-11-15 Published:2019-11-25

Abstract: From a perspective of the interconnected East Asia and the global, the cause of the 1919 Independence Movement of Korea was that the participants of the Movement hoped to make full use of the "global moment" when the international order was changing and echo the transformation of the global history with a national social revolution. In addition, the oppression from the colonial authorities contributed another reason for this collective campaign. The participants, media and aims of the Movement consisted of the gathering experience of "people", whose feature was the coexistence of modernity and traditionally as well as the reconstruction of their meaning under the condition of colony. If revolution does not only mean the overturn of political power, but the large-scale transformation of the society as a whole, i.e., the fundamental transformation of thought and culture and the strengthening of the subjective status of the people, then the 1919 Independence Movement of Korea can be perceived as a revolution. Since the result of the Movement presented as "incremental achievements", it can be dubbed a "revolution of continuous learning" or an "on-going revolution".

Key words: 1919 Independence Movement of Korea, coloniality. East Asia, republic, transformation of civilization, national representative, revolution