The Korean magazine Literature for Common People, subsidized by the Korean government, publised Taeback Mountain serially from February 1943 to October 1943. Written in Japanese, it is believed to be the one piece of literature written by Saryang Kim with the most accurate account of that era. It gives details of the rivalries that existed due to the influences of China and Japan because of Taebaek Mountain’s location. In Taebaek Mountain, two national ideals are drawn, the national ideal of the people and the national ideal of new cooperation with Japan. These two different ideals had their own beliefs of justice and emphasised the legitimacy of the “nation’s” formation.

　In accordance with the main subject, this paper focuses on these two ideals and considers the action of the chief characters who insisted on the legitimacy of the “nation’s” formation while using the concept of “ justice.” Furthermore, this paper analyses the logic of the chief characters who insisted on the legitimacy of the nation’s formation while paying attention to the concept of justice and the notion of “just war” in the East Asian context. In addition, the ambiguity of this concept is noted and different types of “justice” logic are examined.