State Rituals, Symbolic Space, and Korean National Identity

This article starts from the correlation between the identity and memory. As it was said that what is remembered is defined by identity, a group's identity can be explored from the types of memories remembered by that group. In this context, this paper analyzes the contents and uses of national symbols such as state rituals and symbolic spaces, which are the means used by the state for transmitting historical memory to the present, having been performed in contemporary Korean society since the nation's foundation in 1948. It also analyzes the process of reproducing historical memories through such national symbols. There are state rituals which commemorate Korean historical facts, such as historic events related to the independence movement, the founding of Korea, the Korean war, the democratic movement, and historic figures like "Dangun," General "Yi sun-shin," fallen soldiers, and patriotic martyrs. There are also national cemeteries and memorial halls which commemorate the independence movement, the Korean War, and the democratic movement. These are types of historic memory reproduced by the state in contemporary Korean society. However, the contents of historical memories mentioned above are produced and changed by the political needs of regimes and also civil society. Each regime has used the historical memory for legitimizing the dominant ideology or that regime's policy, and also for symbolizing the identity of regime. Nevertheless, what is represented as Korean national identity, like the Korean people or the state, has been reproduced unchanged compared to other historical things, through a national holiday like "Gaecheonjeol" (Founding Day of Korea) for example, as well as other symbolic forms. They are national symbols which generally reconstruct an image of Korea past, through which the state reproduces the belief of pureness and the eternity of national community.