세종 성군 논란을 통해 본 뉴라이트 역사인식의 확산과 한국사 연구의 ‘탈식민’ 문제

Abstract

South Korean economic historian Yi Yŏng-hun’s arguments on King Sejong in a youtube media lecture in 2016 and its publication into a book called Sejong ŭn kwayŏn sŏnggun in’ga in 2018, has triggered controversial disputes, across the popular internet media space, over King Sejong and his rule which have enjoyed its most iconic status as the all time favorite national hero or saint king within the context of South Korean nationalism. Based on a post colonial and a transnational approach, this paper first examines the perspective and the logic of Yi’s main arguments on King Sejong and his rule. Then, this paper will continue to provide critical analysis that Yi’s argument is not only to debunk Sejong myth built by the main streams of the studies of Korean history in South Korea, but also to expand the narrow horizon of South Korean New-Right revisionist historiography that only include hundred years of history from late 19th to late 20th century into wide open several hundred years of Choson dynasty history all the way up to King Sejong’s reign in early 15th century. Then, this paper will ultimately aim to show how Yi’s reinterpretation will end up only supporting Japanese far right historical revisionism’s arguments on perennial controversial issues between Korea and Japan, including “comfort women” that originate back from Japanese colonialism in early 20th century. And Finally I will talk about some crucial points on the issues of post-coloniality exposed by the controversies of Yi’s arguments in the studies of Korean history here in South Korean academia, and I will also talk about what the Korean historians studying Chosŏn history should critically examine to cope with far-right historical revisionism in this age of new media.