美軍政의 對韓政策과 議會制度에 관한 硏究 = A Study on the legislative system under the U.S. Army Military Government in Korea : with special respect to the U.S. foreign policy toward Korea

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This thesis is an historio-structural study on the legislative system in the U.S. Army Military Government in Korea. This study analyzes its formation process and function with special respect to the U.S. foreign policy toward Korea. The formation process of the legislative system under the U.S. Military Government consists of series of advisory organizations, i.e. the Advisory Council (AC: 고문회의), the Representative Democratic Council (RDC: 민주의원), and the South Korean Interim Legislative Assembly (SKILA: 입법의원). This study begins from the assumption that the U.S. Military Government policy resulted in the Advisory Council, the Representative Democratic Council, the South Korean Interim Legislative Assembly, and the eventual establishment of the seperate southern government in 1948. The real nature of the legislative system under the U.S. Military Government can be divided into two structures relating with the U.S. Military Government, namely, an independent structure or a dependent structure. The independent structure relating with the U. S. Military Government proves the national independence in the formation process of the legislative system. On the other hand, the dependent structure proves the influence of the U.S. foreign policy, that is, the containment policy in the process. Examining the real nature of the legislative system under the U.S. Military Government is the most important issue in this thesis. The main arguments of this study are summed up in the following.

In chapter II of this thesis are examined the basic goals of U.S. policy in Korea and the structural conditions which had effected on the Korean political process under the U.S. Military Government. Liberated from Japanese colonialism, many Koreans demanded social liberation and nation-state building. The Korean Provisional Government (KPG: 임시정부), having tried to achieve national independence abroad, declared 'urgent policy on the basis of 'platform of state-building'. At the same time were the Committee for the Preparation of Korean Independence (CPKI: 건준) organized at home before the entrance of the U.S. Military forces. The Military Government, however, declared itself as the only legitimate government in South Korea, whose main goals were to make the bulwark against Soviet Union and to establish government faborable to U.S. in Korea as well. The Military Government established a goal of rule that should prevent Communists from controlling Korea, With the concrete device of operations in the political situation to realize this, it made an endeavor to integrate various political groups in South Korea. From the standpoint of the Military Government, political integration was the best means being able to make weak the influence of Communists and to dominate an initiative in the negotiation with the Soviet Union. This was a primary expression of containment policy.

In chapter 111, IV and V are analyzed the real implications of the legislative system by analytical tools of its formation process, political recruitment, and function. The Advisory Council was the first attempt to secure Korean participation in the Military Government on terms distinctly favorable to the Right. The Representative Democratic Council was the second attempt by the Military Government during 1946 to create a coalition in the south that would separate moderate leftists from "extremists" in the Korean Communist Party and Korean People's Party and thereby isolate the latter. And the left-right coalition effort through the Coalition Committee (CC: 좌우합작위원회) and the South Korean Interim Legislative Assembly was promoted on the equal basis of integrating various political groups. The South Korean Interim Legislative Assembly was the attempt to set up a figurehead body of Koreans that would be responsive to Hodge and still provide an foundation of legitimacy to the Military Government policies. Like the Advisory Council, the RDC and the Coalition Committee, it ended in failure. The Military Government saw elections as a step to the Koreanization policy. But it appeared to many Koreans that the plans for legislature meaned the establishment of separate southern government, since they came on the heels of the Joint Committee dissolution. a a and Dr. Rhee's calls for a separate government. This was not the beginning. of Koreanization, but the end of the Military Government policy.

From the viewpoint of its political recruitment, the Military Government should be blamed for its unfair and biased personal adnimistration by appointing mainly the Right who were responsive to the Military Government, those who served for Japanese colonist, and those who were educated in the U.S., especially the christians as government officials. In the South Korean Interim Legislative Assembly, while most of elected assemblymen were Rightists, surprisingly assemblymen appointed by the Military Government were Leftists. Such a different ideological career hampered greatly the function of the Legislative Assembly.

Let's review the function of the South Korean Interim Legislative Assembly. It is undoubtable that the Legislative Assembly had exerted continuous efforts to build democratic self-controlled nation in Korea. The Legislative Assembly assumed very important mission for the future of Korea as it was a parliament in the transitional stage. It had dealt with 33 law bills, 15 of them was passed and 18 undecided. Of the law bills passed through the deliberation of the Assembly. 13 bills won the approval of the Military Governor and was made public. But rest five was abandoned, as the Military Governor had exercised his veto power. In respect to these results, the practical legislative power was grasped by the Military Governor. Futhermore he also had veto power against the unreasonable laws. Under such a circumstance it was natural that real meaning of establishment of legislative power was impossible, Various control of the Military Government, inefficiency of the Legislative Assembly and confrontation among the political factions provoked conflicts within the Assembly and also brought about weakening of legislative activities.

In conclusion, the legislative system under the U.S. Military Government could be regarded as the formation process of Korean assembly institution. But, as before mentioned in analyzing its formation process, political recruitment, and function, the legislative system under the U.S. Military Government was introduced not as a democratization policy, but as a means of U.S. foreign policy, ie, the containment policy. The legislative system was a product of political integration attempts to make the bulwark against Soviet Union and to establish government faborable to U.S. in Korea as well. It was clearly verified from the point that the real nature of the legislative system, namely, the Advisory Council, the Representative Democratic Council, and the South Korean Interim Legislative Assembly was the dependent structure relating with the U.S. Military Government.