Abstract

This article explores how the concept of “civilization” (munmyeong 文明) was refunctioned in two Korean associational journals published following the 1905 protectorate: Dae-Han jaganghoe wolbo (1906–1907) and Giho heunghakhoe wolbo (1908–1909). Using co-occurrence network analysis combined with genre-sensitive close reading, it demonstrates that munmyeong served different organizational functions depending on field-specific contexts. In Dae-Han jaganghoe wolbo, the concept was linked with legality, local autonomy, and institutional standards, functioning as a language of state capacity that both justified reform and expressed ambivalence toward Japan. Conversely, in Giho heunghakhoe wolbo, munmyeong was integrated into educational and associative frameworks, including teacher training, school establishment, branch expansion, and civic self-cultivation. This shift moved the focus of civilizational efforts from external sovereignty claims to practical, collective survival practices under increased surveillance after 1907. Drawing on Bourdieu’s field theory and Elias’s view of civilization as a process, the article suggests that the concept’s role was influenced not only by its lexical meaning but also by genre, organizational routines, and political constraints. Overall, it illustrates how Korean reformers transformed “civilization” from a state-centered evaluative framework into an educational and organizational routine within associational print media.