BR Myers: Korea's Ethnonationalism and the Unloved Republic 

Thank you for having me on - Enjoyed being on the podcast! I urge everyone to read this book, even though it tackles some difficult concepts and issues, it is very accessible and easy to read!

I was fortunate enough to have Myers as my PhD supervisor. I sincerely appreciate his thinking and logic. You may not agree with him on many occasions, but he is truly remarkable at bringing to light surprising facts and questioning conventual truths. Btw. this time podcast was too short! So many more fascinating stuff in a book. It would be great David if you could bring Myers to the podcast, although that might be hard as he prefers staying in Busan usually.

Charlie's experience in the ROK army is interesting, as much as the topic itself is. Even though I was born in Seoul, South Korea, I often found myself odd with my fellows in the army. This was because I have a Northerner identity. Of course, it is hard to compare the experience of a self-identified Northerner born in the South to that of a South Korean citizen born in New Delhi when they were doing military service. But still interesting to listen to the story of Charlie who was born and raised in a different cultural background and then forced to join a cult named the Army. On the topic, interestingly, I say "Our republic(우리 공화국)" referring to the Republic of Korea. In English, I prefer saying "I'm from the Republic of Korea," especially when I was in the UK and asked where I came from. (But usually, I had to explain I meant South Korea, often adding the South is the good Korea where Samsung or LG coming from, while the North is the Kim's one.) And I do also do it in Korean, since I believe in republicanism(I'm not talking about the American conservative party, but a political idea). But it is true that saying "our republic" is hardly accepted by my family and friends, partially because republicanism has only a tiny place to stand in the South Korean two-party political system - no one's friends could be everyone's enemy, really. Clearly, the South Korean public is reluctant to talk about the foundation of the Republic, because it has always been a subject of controversy. I support the 1919 theory, which is an idea that the Republic of Korea founded in 1919 as the result of the First March movement. So I often argue that we should call the 1st of March "Independence Day" because we declared it that day, and on the day we must celebrate the newborn of the Republic in Korean history. But this sort of opinion is not so popular. My hardliner conservative father and some of my conservative friends blame me for being an accomplice of pro-North Korea propagandists (I still don't understand their logic). On the other hand, my other friends who are so-called progressive or so-called liberal sometimes oppose my idea because some parts of my argument acknowledge Rhee Seung-man as the first president of the Republic. Oh God. In this sense, the Korean narrative of history seems to be mostly designed to work as a tool for domestic politics. That's why I sometimes insist "History has not yet become history in Korea. It is still a politics." Since I support republicanism, I welcome and support immigrants' rights. So, having an ethno-based national identity is, in my opinion, something we should oppose. And in this context, I see the overall environment has become much more comfortable. But the North Korean issue is a really tricky question. I'm really in favour of the reunification, or I say, "The Third Unification," more precisely. I have been developing five arguments to support it, and one of the arguments is closely linked to national identity. But more and more ethnic-based national identity would be eradicated, more and more Koreans would become less interested in the unification, or even some would oppose the idea. Family ties to those in the North would fade away over time. But cultural, ethnic, and linguistic ties will remain as strong in the future(and it was the argument of Prof. John Delury on his idea of why Korean would want to have unification). So I see there is a potential challenge for South Korea over this issue Here's my question. As a scholar and Korea watcher, what do you think how South Korean society will respond to this challenge?

I think Koreans feel like Korea's origin is ancient. Her primordial myths come from somewhere. The date South Korea became a nation is the day of separation. On some level, it's recent, a source of national trauma and psychologically avoided...I think maybe but not sure.

Koreas ethno-nationalism is based

Daehanminguk is the name of ROK in Korean, as Joseon was that of the Joseon Dynasty in the 1700s for the people of Korean Peninsula. Republic is a political system or a ruling type of a country and for the Daehanminguk it is a State up until now in my humble view. Therefore, the Book title should be reconsidered. Otherwise 💭💭💭

1:26:46 Hah...

잘 봤습니다. 모든 논점에 대해서 몇 가지 의견을 내고 싶지만 그건 의미가 없을 것 같네요. 다만 젊은 한국인 친구가 말하는 한국인들은 증오를 사랑하는 것 같다는 말에 일면 동의하지만 사실 그건 어쩌면 모든 인간의 본성이라서 미국도 영국도 심지어 아프리카도 마찬가지라 생각합니다. 좀 쓸데없는 자조적 생각이란 의견을 가져봅니다. 다만 이런 질문을 던지고 싶네요. 혹시 영국이 지배한 식민지 국가 인도를 식민지가 끝나고 열등한 민족이라고 영국 본국에서 차별하고 무시한 일이 있었나요? 혹은 정치인들이 나와서 인도인들은 정말 극도로 싫어 이런 적이 있었나 궁금하네요. 혹여 프랑스가 아프리카인들이 자국에 와서 살면 국가적으로 차별하고 관리하고 무시한 적이 있었나요? 혹은 독일이 폴란드인들을 본국에서 차별한 적이 있었나요? 그런데 사실 일본은 한국인들에게 해방이 되고 나서 아주 오랫동안 지문을 날인하고 그것에 따라 한국인이란 피를 가지면 일본 사회에서 살기 힘들게 사회적으로 지속적인 박해를 하고 욕하고 힘들게 한 게 사실입니다. 그리고 혹시 저기 세 나라의 예처럼 그들은 인도의 문화와 아프리카의 문화와 폴란드의 문화를 정신까지 박살내고 없애려고 했나요? 이를테면 창씨개명처럼 말이죠. 물론 언어를 프랑스어나 영어를 사용하게 했다는 것은 인정하지만.. 제 아버지 세대는 다들 일본어를 사용했고, 저도 일상생활에서 어렸을 때는 일본 단어를 심심찮게 사용했죠. 그때 어른들은 다들 "조선놈들은 다 병신 같아 역시 일본놈들 따라가려면 멀었어." 이랬죠. 어느 순간 자국민에 대한 열등감으로 가득찼던 순간이 있었어요. 하다못해 김치나 된장을 먹는 우리 민족이 진짜 열등한 민족이구나 생각하는 그런 시대도 있었어요. 즉 자존감의 상실이 식민지의 결과물이었죠. 전 이런 것들이 다른 다른 식민지 국가와 다른 outlier가 된 게 아닌가 생각합니다. 아무튼 동지란 단어를 쓴 젊은 출연자 분에게 약간 놀랬고, 문재인 대통령이 반일을 아주 정치적으로 잘 이용했다는 생각도 듭니다. 전 한국이 더 발전하기 위해서는 일본과 협력 관계로 나아가야 한다고 봅니다. 이제는 과거는 청산할 필요가 있다고 봅니다. 좌파 정치인들이 세월호나 이태원이나 일본 이슈와 같은 것으로 정치적으로 이용하는 것을 보고 싶지 않네요. 지금 한국 정치는 좌파는 양의 탈을 쓴 늑대고, 우파는 병신의 탈을 쓴 병신이란 생각이 들긴 합니다.