History of Korea

Cultural Nationalism:
Gradualism and National Independence

Cultural nationalists of the 1920's were in essence moderate nationalists. The lessons of the March First Movement had taught them well, and as their name suggests, they believed in eventual independence through gradual and moderate means. They held steadfast to three tenets of their movement: nonconfrontation, gradualism, and social development. They feared that confrontation was a direct path to more stifling and restrictive policies; thriving on the relaxed cultural policies of Saito's government, they felt the eventual goal of independence and the laying of the groundwork for a future independence movement was a duty much too important to jeopardize with rash and heasty thoughts of immediate confrontation. Hence, they opted for a gradual approach to independence; and felt the strengthening of sical and civil consciousness through "munhwa undong" (cultural movement) was the step in the right direction.

Colonial Period