• Journal of Popular Narrative
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.117-167
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• 2019

The aim of this article is to illuminate the Park Yeol(朴烈)·Kaneko Humiko(金子文子) Case from the perspective of performance, by analyzing newspapers published in Colonial Korea. The Park Yeol·Kaneko Humiko Case include the High Treason Incident(大逆事件) case and the mysterious photo(怪寫眞) case that occurred in Tokyo in Imperial Japan from 1923 to 1926. Even though Park Yeol·Kaneko Humiko were individually imprisoned during this period, they proceeded to act shrewdly and preposterously as performers. First, they made the trial itself into an astonishing case by donning traditional Korean clothes and insisting on using the Korean language in Japanese Imperial Court. Second, they caused the judge in charge to accidentally take the so-called 'mysterious photo,' which later led to the collapse of the Japanese cabinet. The newspapers published in Colonial Korea served as unique stage on which Park Yeol and Kaneko Humiko performed. The newspaper articles reported on the public trials as if it were a drama, describing their clothes, look, and dialogue in public court. The news about them was published not as it occurred but in a plotted sequence because of a press ban, consequentially building suspense among readers. Meanwhile, the Korean newspaper editorials pointed out the injustice of the High Treason Incident, breaking down the Japanese judge's opinion. The Park Yeol·Kaneko Humiko Case was a social drama that revealed the disharmony that led to the breakdown of Taisho Democracy and imprinting national resistance in Japan as well as in Korea.

• (The) Research of the performance art and culture
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• no.18
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• pp.315-346
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• 2009

Korean 'Sin-Pa' play is a way to examine self-reliance of Korean culture and influence of Japanese culture on the Korean one in the early modern times. Although the 'Sin-Pa' play has been estimated negatively in many aspects, such an estimation can be different depending on the methodology. Therefore, I tried to explain a characteristics of the rise of 'Sin-Pa' play. While making these trials, I made efforts to reappreciate the developing process of Korean 'Sin-Pa' play and its theatrical structure and value. Particularly, I focused on structure of 'Sin-Pa' play in the context of an actual cognition of colonized Korea. Based on the 'Sin-Pa' play's repertoires I found out that one of the representative characteristics of Korean 'Sin-Pa' play is a changing process from orality to literacy. And I made attempts to uncover some ideological functions and their effects of 'Sin-Pa' play, focusing on and whose story line is usually consisted of 'provocation-pangs-defeat' while it interacted with 'provocation-pangs-penalty' of the structure of melodrama under the contemporary cultural conditions. 'Sin-Pa'' play can be considered as a performance mode to accept the Japanese value embedded in the colonized Korea since the 1910s on the one hand and to resist the overwhelming power of western culture imported through Japan on the other hand. In other words, it was closely related with the cultural-field of that period. Based on these results of this research, I tried to outline what the mode of 'Sin-Pa' was, what it reflected, and what it desired for under the influence of the contemporary cultural conditions. I analysed double qualities of 'Sin-Pa' play as a dominant narrative and/or a resistant narrative considering its relationship with the people of colonized Korea. And also I examined the place of the 'Sin-Pa' play in the history of theatre and in the history of culture.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.150-169
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• 2020

Surveys of Buddhist ruins at Namsan in Gyeongju began in earnest during the Japanese colonial era, undertaken by Japanese scholars. These surveys of Buddhist remains in Namsan made during the colonial period should be seen as previous research which cannot be ignored in any in-depth study of Buddhist ruins in Gyeongju. Full-scale surveys of Buddhist ruins at Namsan began in the 1920s. Previous surveys conducted around the time of the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910 are generally viewed as only representing preliminary investigations and, thus, have not received much attention. However, these early surveys are significant in that they led to the Buddhist ruins on Namsan becoming widely known in the 1910s and served as the foundations for later studies. The removal of the Seated Medicine Buddha from Samneung Valley in Gyeongju in 1915 and its subsequent exhibition at the Joseon Local Products Expo, which marked the fifth anniversary of the Japanese administration of Korea, was especially important in garnering attention for Namsan's wealth of Buddhist artifacts, as the statue was placed in the main hall of the art museum and attracted a great deal of interest from visitors. It is typically thought that this Seated Medicine Buddha was exhibited in 1915 because it was the most beautiful and well-preserved statue from Namsan. However, the removal of this statue was closely related to the proposed move of the Seokguram statue to Seoul around the time of Korea's annexation. The plan to move Seokguram to Seoul was primarily devised by Terauchi Masatake, and the plan, based on Ilseontongjo-ron ('日鮮同祖論'), a historical theory that prehistoric Korean and Japanese people were of the same blood, and Joseon Jeongcheasoeng-ron ('朝鮮停滯性論'), a historical theory arguing that development had stagnated in Korea, was intended to be a visual demonstration of a new era for Korea. This new era was to proceed under the rule of the Japanese Empire through the dissolution of Gyeongbokgung, the symbol of the Joseon Dynasty, which would be replaced with past glories as symbolized by the statue of Buddha. However, as the plan floundered, the replacement for Seokguram in Seoul ended up being none other than the Seated Medicine Buddha of Samneung Valley. Surveys of the Seated Medicine Buddha began in 1911, administered by Sekino Tadashi, but he likely learned of the statue's location from Moroga Hideo or Kodaira Ryozo, Japanese residents of Gyeongju. It is also probable that these Japanese residents received a request from the Japanese Government General of Korea to find a Buddha statue that was worthy of being displayed at exhibitions. In this way, we can say that the transfer of the Seated Medicine Buddha to Seoul was the result of close cooperation between the Government General, Sekino Tadashi, and Japanese residents of Gyeongju. This also had the effect of removing the magical veil which had shrouded the Buddhist ruins of Namsan. In other words, while the early surveys of Buddhist ruins on Namsan are significant, it is difficult to argue that the surveys were undertaken for purely academic purposes, as they were deeply related to the imperial ambitions of Governor-General Terauchi which encompassed the plans to move Seokguram to Seoul and the successful hosting of the 1915 Expo. It should also be pointed out that the failure of the plan to move Seokguram to Seoul and the preservation of the Seated Stone Buddha of Mireuggok at Namsan was in no small part due to resistance from Korean residents in Gyeongju. Although it is not described in detail in the paper, research is needed which shows that the Korean residents of Gyeongju were not simple bystanders, but agents of history.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.170-203
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• 2018

From the period of Japanese colonialism up to the present, the researchers of archaeology and ancient history in Korea and Japan have paid much attention to the Honam area. Recently the ruins and relics of Wae lineage are often discovered at archaeological excavation sites in this region. In particular, at least 17 keyhole-shaped mounds were confirmed. The fact that three mounds were built on one site was newly revealed. Haniwa, a representative earthenware object of the Kofun period in Japan, was discovered as well. Therefore, the study of a historical meaning of archaeological materials about Wae lineage in the Honam area thus far must be reexamined. The ruins and relics of Wae lineage in the Honam area have been studied by selecting only specific cases. I identified all the ruins and relics of Wae lineage in the Honam area and analyzed the process of their change in this paper. I reviewed the relationship between Wae and Mahan, and the purpose of their negotiation based on archaeological characteristics, changing processes, and historical records on a quarterly basis. The ruins and relics of Wae lineage have increased and widely spread since the early period of the 5th century in the Honam area. This tendency continued until the late period of the 6th century. Weapons of Wae lineage were introduced and tombs in the style of Wae were built from the late 4th century to the early period of the 5th century (TG232~TK216 period). Sueki was introduced from the middle to late period of the 5th century (TK208~TK23 period). Keyhole-shaped mounds and tombs in the style of Wae were built from the late period of the 5th century to the early period of the 6th century (TK47~MT15 period). Japanese weapons were introduced from the middle to late period of the 6th century (TK10~TK209 period). In other words, the archaeological appearance is different in each quarterly period. There was an intensive diplomatic relationship between Baekje and Wae in the TG232~TK216 period. The military might be included in a mission of Wae. The materials of Wae lineage of this period are likely to be related to this. Sueki spread to the inland part of the Honam area in the TK208~TK23 period. This Sueki tends to be excavated on advantageous sites for the accumulation and distribution of supplies. The main characters of the keyhole-shaped mounds are presumed to be a group of traders which were under the control of a certain influence in the north of Kyushu. The keyhole-shaped mounds were abruptly built at some distance from mounds of the leaders in the Honam area. Additionally, there was no special influence base to which the characters of the keyhole-shaped mounds belonged in the surroundings. However, it might have been impossible for the group of traders to build the keyhole-shaped mounds without the support from the residents at all because there was a big difference in the building technology of the keyhole-shaped mounds between Japan and the Honam area. The time of building some keyhole-shaped mounds is the same or almost the same with that of the mounds built for the regional leaders. This proves a close relationship with the residents as well. What do the archaeological materials of Wae lineage which have been used and buried mean over 200 years in the Honam area? Geumgwan Gaya, which had exported iron resources to Japan, perished in the early period of the 5th century. Instead of Gaya, the Honam area might have played an important role to supply the necessary resources to Japan. We assume that the Japanese (Wae) actively worked to acquire various resources focusing on the underground resources in the Honam area.