The story surrounding the rise of nationalism within any nation is a very powerful and significant story to tell. Korea is no different. For Korea, the concept of nationalism and independence can be traced back to the late 19th century, when China, Korea, and Japan were in the midst of a power struggle. The power struggle involved the “decentralization” of China and the significant increase in the power and influence of the Japanese administration. In the context of this shift in East Asian powers and the breakdown of the tributary relationship Korea had with China, Korea found itself slowly breaking away from its dependence on China and striving to create its own identity independent of China. However, the assertion of its nationalism and independence encountered many obstacles due to the ambivalence that arose due to Japan's rise to power. While some supported and admired Japan, others perceived its growing influence as a threat. All these external factors pressing on Korea seemed to trigger the concept of nationalism and the creation of the minjok idea and the idea of ​​an independent country, the kukka. The emergence of nationalistic thought in Korea is most likely linked to the entry of Western ideas and academic thought prevalent in that period. The rapid proliferation of nationalism in the country was partly due to the number of scholars who wrote and spoke about it in books and other mediums, such as newspapers. Therefore, patriotic newspapers such as The Independent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were effective means of transferring nationalistic ideology to the Korean population. The entry of Western thought into Korea: the sprouts of nationalism and independenceThe end of the 19th century..... . middle of the sheet ......rs and voice of the nation. Newspapers such as The Independent accurately reflected scholarly thinking during these turbulent times. Not only did it become the instrument for spreading these ideas, but it came to symbolize the nationalist movement itself. Works Cited Andre Schmid, Korea between Empires: 1895-1919 (New York: Columbia University Press, 2002) Gi-wook Shin, Ethnic Nationalism in Korea (California: Stanford University Press, 2006) Tongnip Sinmun: April – December 1896, (Seoul , South Korea, 1981) Yongho Ch'oe, Peter H. Lee, William Theodore De Bary, Sources of Korea Tradition: From the Sixteenth to the Twentieth Century (New York: Columbia University Press, 2000) Pai, Hyung Il, Constructing' Korean' Origins: A Critical Review of Archaeology, Historiography, and Racial Myth in Korea State-Formation Theories (London: Harvard University Press, 2000)