유일한의 미주 독립운동과 고려경제회

Abstract

Compared to other representative indepedence movements, Ilhan New’s activity as a chairman of the Korea Economic Society has received less attention than it deserves.
 In order to create positive public opinion about Korea in the U.S Ilhan New insisted on the necessity to utilize Korean military power during the Pacific War and on Korean’s capability of building and running their nation post-war. It played a positive role in encouraging the U.S. policy toward Korea to be more beneficial to Korea. However, Ilhan New judged that working through Planning and Research Board and the United Korean Committee in America Mission, to which he belonged, to be limited.
 Therefore, he created the Korea Economic Society as a non-profit organization.
 The Korea Economic Society’s main activity was to publish it’s own journal called Korea Economic Digest. It supplemented the limitations of Ilhan New’s previous press strategy that used only Korean activists and KED’s writers consisted of many American experts on Korea. These writers supported Ilhan New’s independence movement and attempted to persuade the U.S.
 government-related ministries and public-private agencies by citing Korea’s strengths and potential values as seen by non-Koreans.
 In other words, the Korea Economic Society could be considered a valuable association in that sense that defended and promoted Korea through journalism in response to the U.S. government’s tendency to draw negative conclusions through public researches on Korea during the Pacific War period. In addition, it was unique because it was a private association that reflected New Ilhan’s special independence movement strategy which was to promote Korea through the journalism.