Appropriating the Center: Discursive Strategies and the Zhonghua 中華 Legacy in Late Chosŏn Korea

This paper explores the discursive strategies adopted by Chosŏn Korea to claim the legacy of Chinese civilization following the fall of the Ming dynasty. Facing the challenge of being a marginal state outside China, Chosŏn intellectuals constructed various narratives to substantiate their inheritance of the orthodoxy of Chunghwa (Central Efflorescence). Historical narratives, reformulated by influential figures like Song Si-yŏl, aimed to establish a direct bond of Confucian loyalty between the Chosŏn people and the Ming emperors. Simultaneously, geographic and historiographical discourses sought to validate the continuity between Chosŏn and the Ming, emphasizing their shared civilizational terrain. However, the introduction of Western geographical knowledge destabilized the notion of China’s centrality, posing a threat to the legitimacy of Chosŏn-Chunghwa. This challenge precipitated a shift toward a cultural-universalist approach, prioritizing the individual’s capacity to practice Confucian ethics over the strict adherence to external rituals and customs. By examining these evolving strategies and debates, this paper sheds light on Chosŏn’s struggle to negotiate its marginality while asserting itself as the rightful successor to Chinese civilization.