Given the terrain of international academia, Korean scholars in the field of East Asian history should cope with influential discourses originating from the West, to say nothing of the ones from China, particularly Chinese exceptionalism. To address the aforementioned task, this paper brings up the concept of “critical glocal history.” This perspective is part of a broader framework termed as “transformative glocalism,” which forms the foundation of a renewed version of East Asian discourse of mine, named “Glocal-East Asian discourse.” When this glocal East Asian vision comes to be firmly rooted in the concept of “core locations,” a new path towards a more comprehensive undertaking of history studies will be open.
To break through the limitations of nation-state-oriented analysis, this article proposes shifting the focal points from the states to the core locations—places where global and local contradictions intensely converge. By doing so, we can identify the objective conditions arising from the intersection of various layers of power in the uneven politicoscape of global history, particularly in the trajectory of global capitalism. Moreover, this approach sheds light on the conditions that facilitate the formation of subjects capable of overcoming discriminatory structures.
Hence this article focuses on the application of critical glocal history to historical narratives and analyses. Firstly, it examines how this perspective can be employed to understand the spatial diffusion in East Asia by surveying the Tumen River Basin and Okinawa as its case studies. Secondly, it explores, in-depth dimension, the possibilities of its applicability by critical reading the two introductory texts on modern East Asian history published in Korea. Throughout this scrutiny, the primary components of my East Asian discourse—namely, the perspectives of core locations, compound state, and interlocking East Asia—will serve as the criteria for analysis and critique.
The ultimate aim of this endeavor is to bridge the gap between East Asian discourse and narratives of East Asian history; the task of opening up new avenues for scholarly exploration and promoting a more interconnected understanding of the region's past and present is urgently called for. As scholars strive to integrate critical glocal history into their research, fresh insights will accordingly emerge, enriching the discourse and scholarship on East Asian history.