＜Korean Studies in the Global Age 3-2＞conflict is reconciliation and reconciliation is conflict

Korean Studies in the Global Age (3-2) Cho Dong-il3   Korea is facing various international challenges these days, including Chinese claims on the history of Goguryeo and Japanese distortion of history textbooks, But narrow-minded national defence is a worn-out countermeasure. Korean scholars must have a universal world view to persuade scholars of Chinese and Japanese studies to move in a different direction. To awake them to the fact that China’s superpowerism and Japan’s imperialism are impediments to scholarship, a more convincing view of history has to be developed.   To take this point one step further, we have to take up the task of expanding the field of comparative studies and establish a general theory that is applicable on a worldwide level. By going beyond nationalism toward universalism, we have to provide the direction that will lead all of mankind into the next era. Only Korean studies that are not just Korean studies are true Korean studies.   I have long conducted comparative research of Korean literature with the literatures of the other countries of East Asia, China, Japan and Vietnam, have obtained many meaningful and valuable results. If we are aware of the overall nature of East Asian literature, we can also clarify our understanding of the literatures of each country within the region. Furthermore, only by conducting comparative research into East Asian literature and the literatures of Europe and various other civilizations can we recognize their specific characteristics and speak with any authority about the entirety of world literature.   Comparative research is also necessary in order to discard our self-centeredness and come to an understanding of others. It’s a big mistake to make the claim that globalization is an inevitable trend at this time while still pursuing the exclusive economic benefit of one’s own nation or trying to transplant one’s own values into another country. In order to correct this kind of mistake, we need to carry out genuine comparative research based on equality and a wide variety of perspectives.   Until now, comparative literature has tended toward microscopic studies and been devoted to proving relationships of influence. We now have to carry out macroscopic comparisons and make an effort to discover the points of difference and commonality in each independently established literature or culture. Comparative literature’s most important tasks and goals must be to discard the bias of Eurocentricism, conduct research into the numerous literatures of the world from an equal viewpoint and illuminate the universal aspects and values of all of world literature.   4   Through broad comparative studies, I tried to find the Korean role in the global age. This is the answer. The most valuable contribution that the Korean cultural tradition can make is in the creative activity of harmonizing things that are essentially different in order to create new values. The wisdom that establishes harmony while acknowledging conflict and encourages growth while not denying antagonism is the best way of solving the countless problems that we face today.   On the basis of this principle, conflict is reconciliation and reconciliation is conflict. The idea that overcoming is becoming may be termed the "overcoming-becoming theory"(saenggeuk ron). The "overcoming-becoming theory is the only way of expressing the term saenggeuk ron in English. The dialectic of the "overcoming-becoming theory" functions through the corrective tendency in "overcoming" to move toward "becoming."   We can ascertain the origin of this way of thinking in the Silla period writer Choe Chiwon who maintained that the profound Way (do) that existed in our country was also contained in Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. He stated that the manifestation and process of recreation that took place as a result of the fusion of our indigenous culture with Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism was unusual and profound. In every age, figures such as Wonhyo, Iryeon, Choe Jeu and others established new systems of thought by absorbing cultures from various outside sources and recreating them by harmonizing them with the indigenous culture.   Husbands and wives, parents and children, and brothers and sisters, while believing in different religions and even engaging in arguments, still do not break off relations but continue to live together in harmony. From outside Korea this is an amazing thing that is difficult to understand, but Koreans consider it to be completely natural. This kind of wisdom that is necessary for our future is appearing for the first time in human history and is now being tested in Korea.   Korean mask dances dynamically demonstrate the paradoxical idea that conflict is reconciliation and reconciliation is conflict both between the characters that appear in the performance and between these characters and the spectators. In other forms of Korean performing arts as well, the appeal of performances that make our minds feel comfortable even while they increase our feelings of tension has given rise to the phenomenon of the "Korean Wave" (hallyu), which is currently receiving a rapturous welcome in many countries in East Asia.   Let’s take a look at the Korean dish, bibimbab, which demonstrates a unique characteristic of Korea. The various ingredients, while continuing to exist in themselves, come together to form a harmonious unity, showing that overcoming is becoming and becoming is overcoming. New types of electrical products such as mobile phones, for example, are created in this way and are give pleasure all over the world.