Abstract

Historical agency is a meaningful concept in itself for understanding history, and is a tool that can further elaborate the three layers from a multi-perspective. Through the selection of historical actors in the context of the social structure, constraints of the time, and the consequences of that choice, students can confirm that decision-making is an important task. By understanding events in context, it becomes a tool for historical understanding and an opportunity for current students to judge past events. In this article, an alternative to thinking about war was presented based on the choices of historical actors who participated in daemonghang, the consequences of their actions, and the different interpretations of historians. It is possible to judge war from various point of view by examining the war chosen by someone in the context of the situation at the time and the outcome of the war, away from examining the background, process, outcome and impact of war. Students can see how complicated history is by observing the Goryeo government''s response to the Mongol invasion, the choice of capital relocation and the people''s resistance to and cooperation with the ruling class during the prolonged war. Through this process, the narrative can naturally shift to ‘Who chose the war for whom?’ rather than ‘Why did the war happen, how it unfolded, and what results did it bring?’ Ultimately, it can give students an opportunity to think about war. In addition, students will be able to cross over past and present and develop their own agency while watching the results of choices and decisions made according to the circumstances of various historical actors.

Full Text
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