A CRITICAL EVALUATION ON THE CULTURAL NATIONALISM OF THE TWO KOREAS

Unlike the ideology of the French Revolution, Korean nationalism did not demand freedom and equality all at once. After the liberation from the Japanese colony, Korean nationalism strongly became a pervasive characteristic of the Korean people. This nationalism represented a collective ideology with the absence of strong individualistic aims. After this development, Korean society was caught within a South-South conflict between the force of national cooperation and that of anti-communism conservatism. The negative effects of this national ideology appeared in the form of using the idea of the 'nation' for political purposes. 'Nation' is not limited to 'tribes' but also encapsulated a 'people' with broad political implications. This disorder within the Koren concept of the 'nation' lacks the national civic element of Rousseau's definition. North Korea's Kim, Il Sung originally rejected nationalism. In the late 1980s, North Korea had to maintain its system based on the nationalism of 'Juche' (self-reliance), nationalism was internalized as a subordinate concept to the Juche ideology. North Korean nationalism can be described as Kimilsungism. The nationalism of 'Sovereignty rests with the people', based on the ideas of freedom and equality, has been completely replaced by the ruling ideology of the North Korean hereditary dynasty, which maintains its system through the force of rule. Nationalistic ideologies should clear away their cultural-romantic lineages, which were used to uphold political hegemony. The internalization of civil nationalism must overcome cultural nationalism in order to strengthen the Korean identity. Korea needs to establish a foundation for developing and cultivating civil nationalism within its peoples.