American Perspectives: Response to "Colonial Origins of 주체"

Artwork by The Bluedevil

"Because many Koreans were purged by their Chinese Comrades, the purge almost destroyed the unity of the Korean and the Chinese forces in the Anti-Japanese united front...CCP leaders, including Mao Zedong, were hardly aware of the Incident even though it was a horrendous memory burned in the minds of 김일성 and other North Korean communist leaders.  The experience of the Incident and the undeniable contribution North Korea made during the civil war between the Chinese Nationalist Party and the Chinese Communist Party provide historical backdrop into understanding why North Korean leaders have so prized 주체, not only judicial sovereignty but also substantive independence from China and other big powers." --한홍구 "Colonial Origins of the 주체," from "Origins of North Korea's 주체."

 

It is noted, according to 한홍구, that in 1931, the Japanese authorities in Manchuria made gestures to protect Korean immigrants with the aim of igniting political friction with the local Chinese authorities.  The motive was to broaden the opportunity for military takeover of Manchuria, which was indeed accomplished in the Manchurian Incident of 1931. When the Japanese got Manchuria, they essentially threw away the Korean immigrants they were claiming to protect.  Basically, a very ugly strategy of divide and conquer.  Because I used to study quite a bit of Indigenous American history, this reminds me too much of the strategies the US used on different tribes in order to claim desired lands.  Which is also why I decided to look further into the history of the DPRK, and see if perhaps, the back stories are similar.  They are, but it's a position that I need to research futher before putting it out there.

 

Because these North Korean groups had to deal with being used as a pawn by two powerful nations, and then being thrown away when they were no longer useful.  I wouldn't consider that an ideal position to be in, and at that point, it appeared to be something that happened repeatedly.

 

Because of Japan's politically motivated protection of the Korean immigrants in the Chinese controlled Manchuria, it stirred up suspicions.  The Korean allies of the CCP were considered spies for the Japanese, and many were purged based on small suspicion alone.  I'm reminded of the murder of American Indian Movement (AIM) activist, Anna Mae Aquash, which occurred in 1975.  While the murder was committed by people within the organization, suspicions about her arose due to planted FBI informants trying to stir up conflict in order to destroy the movement.  In the case of the Korean allies of the CCP, many were murdered due to suspicions, known as the 민생단 Incident.  Clearly, these purges sowed the seeds of distrust, and began the idea among this particular group of Koreans that anyone who wasn't Korean couldn't be fully trusted.  Or may be not so much that, but anyone at all couldn't be fully trusted.  I can only visualize what a betrayal it may have felt like on multiple fronts.  Betrayal from people who you thought were your friends, betrayal from people who had the same vision as you, and who could possibly support you.  How terrifying it must have felt.  Knowing that you were suspected of something you knew you didn't do, and no action you took could shake the suspicion.

 

So, not only was the 주체 inspired by this incident, massive distrust took root.  With that in mind, the Chinese, Japanese, and Russians had some cultural similarity to the Koreans.  To this day, North Korea has a bit of a funky relationship with China and Russia.  I speculate that I have a pretty good idea of how profoundly betrayed the pro 김일성  may have felt when the Koreans to the south ended up working with the United States, and interweaving some of the culture into theirs.  The thing is, though, the 민생단 Incident may not have had the same relevance to the people of the south as it did to the north.  Therefore, working with the Americans and interweaving their values didn't necessarily have the same meaning.  Although, I am aware that South Korea's transition after the Japan Occupation and the Korean War wasn't easy, either; and that will most certainly be another subject for another time.