Historical dynamics of the construction of south Korean identity: Kookmin

This thesis explores the construction of national identity in the Korean Peninsula and particularly in South Korea, focusing on the historical and social dynamics that have shaped this process. It examines the preservation of Korea's ethnic homogeneity and its relationship with nationalism and civic identity. The study is structured into several key sections. First chapter will discuss role of identity and its impact on individuals and societies, arguing that identity is a political concept encompassing the politics of difference and exclusion. Therefore, the role of ethnic identity, common culture, and language in the formation of national identity will be analyzed in first chapter. Herewith, the historical origins of Korea's ethnic homogeneity and how it has been maintained will be explored, detailing the construction of national identity in the second chapter. Particularly, the impact of Japanese imperialism on Korean nationalism will be emphasized with the focus on Korean national movements and ideologies in order to discuss the nationalization of the Korean people as a response to Japanese colonial efforts to assimilate Korean identity under the imperial concept. Third chapter will be on the afterwards' effects on Korean national identity of artificial division of the Korean Peninsula via highlighting the divergence in the definitions of "we" and "national other" among two Koreas despite a shared five-thousand-year history. Furthermore, the study investigates the evolving importance of the concepts of kookmin (national identity) and minjong (ethnic identity) in South Korea, assessing the role of ethnic and civic factors in shaping contemporary national identity and the shifting perceptions of North Koreans and overseas Koreans. Last chapter will be focused on the Korean governmental policies towards "other Korea" and kookmin perception of North Korean regime and its people within last twenty years. This thesis employs qualitative and quantitative methods, utilizing local and international surveys, presidential speeches, governmental and private sector statistics, and historical and theoretical approaches to provide a comprehensive analysis. The findings reveal how national identity in Korea has been constructed, the interplay between ethnic and civic identities, and how state policies have shaped societal unity over the past 75 years.