Abstract
The purpose of this study is to identify the characteristics of monuments in the Seoul Foreigners′ cemetery at Yanghwajin, a place where many prominent Christian missionaries and other Christians have been buried near Choltusan. In considering the characteristics of gravestone details, the researcher has divided the details into 4 analysis categories: forms, symbols, epitaphs, and materials. For this research, 281 monuments were selected including 68 of missionaries, 26 of U. S. Army Soldiers, and 13 of teachers. The analysis revealed that there were 26 types of monuments. This includes simple and standardized types like the tablet, headstone, marker, and monolith. These were used more often than other shaped types such as the Cross, obelisk, sculpture, etc. Standardized types made in Korea have been preferred after the 1950s even though the beauty of the gravestones has been degraded. Symbolical decorations related to religious, social, professional or military emblems were also introduced to strengthen their symbolical objectives. Among them, fie Cross was the most predominant Christian symbol and emblem. The families wanted to inscribe epitaphs, the greater part of which originated from the Bible, poems, idioms related to tribute, rest, supplications to deity, love, achievement, to express human sentiment and religious faith. When using materials for making monuments, monument makers have mostly used stone because of its durability. Until the 1950s, various stones had been used to make monuments, for most marble and granite were brought from foreign countries. These were very different from the Korean white marble stone used for many monuments. After the 1950s, the source of stone has been limited to Korean stone, for Korean could make stone monuments that foreigners were agreeable. Especially, a black marble stone called "O-Suk" which means black stone, has been used as a main material. The study identified the following characteristics of monument details in the Seoul foreigners′ cemetery at Yanghwajin. First, Christianity has been applied as the main concept, while symbolizing the homogeneity of religious, family, social, professional or military groups by having the symbolic form, symbol, and epitaph in common. Second, monuments made after the 1950s have been standardized into unattractive and monotonous forms by the limited materials, and so the beauty of the monuments has been degraded.
