한말 立憲政體 논의와 민주공화의 의미

Abstract

This paper examines the internal reasons for the adoption of democratic republican government in the Korean Provisional government, centering on the constitutional system of government theory that was discussed as a construction plan for the modern nation. Since 1905, the concern of the enlightenment intellectuals has focused on the change of the form of government rather than the democratic principles of the modern political system or the fundamental rights of the people. It was a declarative argument that came from the recognition that peoples sovereignty or civil rights were a national community. They recognized democracy as non-monarchy(非君主) or republic. Moreover, in the presence of monarchs, republican was the meaning of treason, so they favored the constitutional monarchy as a means of building a modern state. However, since the late Joseon Dynasty, the civil rights consciousness that grew from below has had a great influence on the enlightened intellectuals of the Daehanmaeilshinbo(大韓每日申報) line. Since 1904, local people have participated in a local civil rights movement called Iljinhae(一進會), which has promoted national civil rights. In 1907, the late patriotic soldier recognized Kojongs demise of the Crown as a the fall of a nation and made himself clear that they were a sovereign as the representative of Korean people. Reflecting such a sense of sovereignty of the people, the Daehanmaeilshinbo emphasized people"s sovereignty more. This indwelled consciousness of people"s sovereignty was the driving force of the republican government movement, which was developed at home and abroad after the illegal annexation of Japan in 1910. The March 1 movement, which won people"s sovereignty, played a decisive role in the establishment of the provisional government of the Democratic Republic in April 1919. At this time, democratic republic was not far from the democratic and republican consciousness. Democracy in a democratic republic is synonymous with republic, and the emphasis is on people"s sovereignty. For this reason, it is clear that the Democratic Republic of the 1919 Provisional Charter was a landmark event, but it is an overestimation from the historical fact that this democratic republic is interpreted or evaluated in the Western and contemporary sense.