Wooji Choi <woojichoi101@gmail.com>
Mon, May 31, 2:51 PM (1 day ago)
to me
To Dr Pak
I write to follow up our previous exchange over our previous phone call and to better express my request for your assistance. My name is Wooji Choi, I am currently studying for a masters in history at ANU. My current interest lies in cultural memory of the Second World War, particularly Korea. The immediate motivation for my interest in this topic is because of a coursework research essay. I apologise if the matter seems trivial when compared to a thesis or a formal study. However, as a student of history it is my desire to engage in this topic as my future field of specialisation.
I am yet undecided on whether I will choose to become a social, cultural, political, or military historian, my subject matter is decidedly modern Korean history (Circa 1910 - Now).
Admittedly I am uncertain as to what I am so drawn to the history of my parents homeland. It is like piecing together a sense of identity that I will never have. I apologise if I have come across as vague or pretentious in my presentation. I do not think that I have the perspective or maturity to aptly express myself. In this particular case I have opted this avenue of research because I wished to both engage with more than traditional historiography. I wanted to engage with a fresh primary source and contribute with original perspectives. Perhaps my aims are ambitious, but when given the opportunity I think it wasteful not to try.
My current extent of study in this topic is introductory or tangential.
My previous field of study was in psychology though I have made private studies into this topic. As of late I am into my first semester of my masters in history and my knowledge is lacking in academic depth. Unfortunately outside of a few english or translated sources, most of my past reading has been tangential to the topic.
My current research question is based around reconciling Korean cultural memory of Imperial Japan with the phenomena of "Imperial Mimicry" that Prof. Jini K Watson wrote of. I hope this email has answered some of your questions on my background and motivations for requesting your aid.
Proposed Questions:
(Preamble: Matters of Consent and anonymity/privacy.)
Establishing Identity: What is your name? When were you born? Do you identify as a Korean?
Sejin Pak, 1948, Seoul, South Korea.
Citizenship: Canada and Australia
Identity: I am an ethnic Korean, but I do not identify as a Korean because that does not distinguish me from many who do. I left Korea in 1964 at age 15 when I was in year 10 in highschool. After leaving Korea, I have lived in Brazil, Canada, USA, Japan, and Australia. Simply this experience makes me differnet from others.
Laying Groundwork: How would you define what a Korean is? Is it ethnic? Legal? Cultural?
Ethnicity is a prereqesite, and citizenshp is a contributing factor. But they are not enough. Culture and loyalty are impotant factors. I do not have these. Slef identification is also a key factor. I do not self identify myself as a Korean. I indetify myself as a global citizen, not loyal to any particular country. This is so enough though I have a deep interest in (South) Korea, as well as North Korea, and Japan, and China to some degree. My interest is East Asia as a region since three countries developed together in interaction. For examaple philisophy and religions in East Asia developed together over a along time. Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, etc. This is like Western countries sharing Christianity and Western philosophical and political traditions, whether in Britain, France, Germany, USA, and even Australia.
In your opinion, when did modern Korean history begin? Why that date/period in particular? How would define modernity?
Modernity has many dimensions: economic, cultural, political, etc. For individuals, people become more individualistic, ie, become an individual from a community bound person. Different dimensions are interrelated, but they may develop unevenly.
In my view, to simplify, Korea started to become modern under the Japanese rule (from 1910s). Rather unevenly, but in accelarated way in areas. (But it should be remembered the answer would be the same even for Japan, even tough it was earlier, ie, starting in the early Meiji period. Again, this is only a simplified answer only. Historians argue that the seeds of modernity began to develop in the "traditional" or premodern" period, whether in Japan or in Korea. That is before the contact with the West in the case of Japan, and before the contact with Japan in the case of Korea.
Impersonal Perspective: What impact do you think that the years of Japanese occupation had on Korean history and culture? How do you think Koreans perceive the occupation in the generation of the occupation? (Pre/Post 1937.) How does your generation perceive the years of Japanese occupation?
Profound change in economy and culture, that may be called modern. Of course, it is all in a relative sense compared to the hypothetical case that Japan did not occupy Korea. In politics, the colonial rule was authoritarian, so not democracy which would the standard criteria for political modernity. But this was the in Japan at the same time. Japan itself had an authoritarian rule, not democratic. But there was a development of modern bureaucracy, an organisational tool for administration, first in Japan, then in Korea under the Japanese rule.
I do not understand why you put 1937 as a dividing point.
Japan's war with China starts in 1931, and the war with the USA starts in 1941.
The perception or evaluation of the Japanese occupation varies a lot, as I already said, according to generation, social class, ideology, etc. About generation the key genratonal difference is the generation who grew up and lived during the colonial period, and the generation who has no such experience. Evem my generation, age 70s have no experience of the Japanese occupation. So the comparison among the age groups 70s, the 50s, and the 30s, are simply among those who have no lived experience of the Japanese occupation. The difference between myself and my parent generation would be more significant because my parents were born in 1910s and 1920s, spoke Japanese in schools. In the case of my parents, they both went to Japanese universities during the colonial time. That is a big difference to my generation and the following generations who had no experience of the Japanese occupation.
People who had no direct experience of the Japanese occupation have a constructed understanding or memory, mainly through education. So, in a way unreliable, potentially manipulated. It may even be called brainwashed.
You may have heard, that the view on Korea's experience of Japanese occupation changes over time. The dominant view, to put simply, is that Korea was exploited by Japan through colonisation. Then there is a challenging revisionst view, that Korea was modernised during the colonial time. This is so called "colonial modernity" view. People wh hold this latter view are often seen as "pro-Japanese", in the sense of being someting of a "traitor" to Korea. So, this is not simply an academic or intellectual debate, but a very politicised, thus emotional issue.
Personal Perspective: How do you personally perceive the years of Japanese occupation? Has the legacy of Japanese occupation affected your life in any way? Can you name or give examples of surviving colonial institutions/peculiarities. Do you perceive any parallels between modern Korean history and the Japanese occupation?
My view is a combination of two. I am critical of the nationalist perspective of history. It is also anti Japanese. Not simply academic and historical way, but in all kinds of things. Irony is that the generations who has no experience of Japanese occupation are more anti-Japanese than those who have lived experience.
I left Korea in 1964, so having lived outside, there is no legacy of Japanese occupation to me, except though my parents who had direct experience and who went to university in Japan during the Imperial Japan period.
Actually, I was a physics major, BSc, Msc, and some PhD years. Then I changed to sociology and did PhD on Japan. And after that came to Australia and taught in University of Adelaide in Asian Studies. My teaching area was Japanese Studies.
But I taught about Japan, not about Korea. So, I can say I have a deep interest on Japan, as well as Korea.
A side story is that my maternal grandfather was a rather big businessman during the colinial period. He was called a "mining king". But he went to North Korea in 1948 in his 60s. He is burried in North Korea/s Patriot's Cemetery. It is said that he is the onlly capitalist burried there.
The development in the Post liberation South Korea is strongly shaped by the colonial experience, especially through the role of the dicatorial ruler Park Chung Hi. He modelled South Korea's development afterthe Japanese model of development of the Meiji period.
This is a very brief outline.
----
(Additional open commentary/discussion.)
I have listed above the broad questions I have in mind. However, the interview is intended to be relatively freeform. I am happy to deliver the exchange in either English or Korean, though I must apologise for my vocabulary in the latter is rather limited.
We can talk freely about anything through zoom tomorrow evening if you wish, at 9 pm your time. Let me know if your answer.
Once again I would like to express my gratitude for your assistance and apologise for the unwieldy length of this missive. I and my family wish you and yours all the best and good health. Though the current times does not allow it, I would be most delighted to meet in person and express my gratitude for all that you have done for us past and present.
Yours Sincerely,
W. Choi.
Sejin Pak Gmail
Mon, May 31, 4:30 PM (1 day ago)
Hi Wooji, Now I understand that this is an interview of my view of the issue.I think it is better to give you a written answer, so I will do so by tomorrow even
Sejin Pak Gmail
Mon, May 31, 5:12 PM (1 day ago)
We can talk one day after you read my written reply.
Wooji Choi
Mon, May 31, 6:16 PM (1 day ago)
to me
Thank you for your time. I think that a written response will be a better platform for you to deliver a more developed answer. I am most grateful that you can lend me your expertise. As a student of history I am increasingly finding that this discipline cannot be studied alone. Your professional insights will be most welcome. I am sure that I will have further questions once I have finished your response. Once again thank you for your efforts.
You are welcome.Noted with
No comments:
Post a Comment