The Revival of the “Glorious Past” In the Republic of Korea under Park Chung Hee

Abstract

The study examines the Republic of Korea’s (ROK) history politics under Park Chung Hee rule (1961-1979). The author argues that it’s possible to identify two stages of the development of policy toward Korea’s national heritage: 1) the early stage (1961 to mid 1960s), during which the government of the ROK managed to create the legal basis of the state policy on the protection of cultural heritage and the Office of Cultural Properties and 2) the late stage (the late 1960’s to 1979), when the regime carried out large-scale propaganda of Korean traditional culture. The article covers such problems as historical views of Park Chung Hee, restoration of Korean places of military glory, measures to perpetuate the memory of Korean outstanding historical figures - admiral Yi Sun-sin and king Sejong the Great, glorification of the ancient Korean kingdom Silla, promotion of Confucian values. The author concludes that President Park Chung Hee sought to strengthen the national consciousness of South Koreans in order to mobilize them to implement national tasks and unite the population around the authorities. The main emphasis was placed on the heroic pages of the military history of Korea and the history of Silla, the first unified Korean state. In the 1970s, the state actively promoted Confucian values to ensure the loyalty of the population to the authoritarian regime of Park Chung Hee. Despite the democratization of the Republic of Korea since 1987, Park Chung Hee’s cultural policy has played a significant role in shaping the historical identity of modern South Koreans. The research is based on Park Chung Hee’s works, ROK’s official documents and materials of South Korean researchers.

Keywords

• south korea
• historical heritage
• national identity
• traditional culture