Paik In-je’s Medical Activities and Cultural Nationalism

Paik In-je’s sense of nationalism developed during his student days at Osan School in his hometown Jeongju. It was further strengthened when he entered Keijo Medical School, where he experienced national discrimination firsthand. This intensified nationalism was the backdrop for his participation in the March 1st Movement. In the 1920s, Paik’s nationalism shifted toward a more pragmatic approach, focusing on building national capabilities rather than immediate independence. He sought to accumulate cultural capacity for the nation through research in modern Western medicine, nurturing future generations, and delivering lectures. Paik’s nationalism was a form of cultural nationalism. Even as the cultural nationalist movement of the 1930s and 1940s began to fragment, he never lost sight of the goal of independence. After liberation, he actively participated in the reconstruction and organization of the medical community by helping establish the Geonguk Uisahoe (Nation Foundation Medical Association) and the Joseon Uihak Yeonguhoe (Joseon Medical Research Association), while also working toward the revival of his alma mater, the Keijo Medical School. Amid the country’s division by left-right conflict, Paik clearly expressed his support for the Republic of Korea. His cultural nationalism, predicated on liberalism, could not accept socialism with its totalitarian nature. This demonstrated an anti-communist nationalist stance, without eroding the flexibility inherent in Korea’s cultural nationalism. This is evidenced by the incorporation of the Paik Hospital into a foundation, aligning with the widespread pursuit of public interest, which was prevalent on the Korean Peninsula at the time.