A Nation of One: A Critical Analysis of the Rise of the Notion of Ethnocultural Oneness in Twentieth-Century Korea

Abstract

This essay has been written to critically explore the societal idealization of oneness held among the Korean people. Particular emphasis is paid to scholarly works published between the years 2010 and 2016. The central finding procured by reviewing works meeting this study's inclusion criteria suggests that the notion of ethnocultural oneness is a modern myth structured along the political ideologies of the state. As such, attention is duly afforded to the historic origins of oneness and how this perception emerged in the twentieth century as a response to the period of Japanese colonization , the Korean War (1950)(1951)(1952)(1953), and the years in which Korea experienced rapid industrial development. It is assumed that the knowledge generated from this study may be used to (a) extend critical discourse on Korea's cultural history, (b) provide an alternative view on the formation of Korea's national identity, and (c) illuminate taken for granted perceptions that have been propagated among the people of Korea in the twentieth century as means to promote a sense of togetherness.

Multiculturalism or Revamped Monoculturalism: Exploring the Principles, Policies, and Practices Enacted in Korea’s Changing Society

“…Literature on multiculturalism essentially posits Korea's demographic change as being a product of (a) rapid industrialization during the developmental years, and (b) the arrival of the modern globalization age. Though once idealized as a nation-state homogenous in ancestry, blood, culture, and language (see e.g., Ahn, 2013;Hunt, 2017;Kang, 2010;Landsman et al, 2014;Oh et al, 2012;Seol, 2014;Shin, 2006), the presence of a growing foreign populace challenges the monolithic nature of Korean society (Choi, 2010). With the signal visit of Hines Ward in 2006, the belief in a monocultural and monoracial Korea gave way to the conceptualization of Korea as multicultural and multiethnic (N. Kim, 2014;Lim, 2010).…”

“…Nevertheless, the expectation of cultural assimilation-despite the existence of differences in language, religion, and worldview-remains unaltered (Lim, 2010). Mirroring Joseon Korea's willingness to help foreigners integrate into society (see K. Hunt, 2017), so 21st century Korea welcomes marriage migrants and their families under the banner "Damunhwa," provided such individuals let go of their non-Korean ways.…”