• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
• /
• no.12
• /
• pp.179-235
• /
• 2005

In this article, the task of evaluating the official documents that were created and issued by the Joseon Governor General office during the Japanese occupation period, with new perspectives based upon the Macro-Appraisal approaches developed by the Canadian scholars and personnel, will be attempted. Recently, the Canadian people and the authorities have been showing a tendency of evaluating the meaning and importance of a particular document with perspectives considering the historical situation and background conditions that gave birth to that document to be a more important factor, even than considering the quality and condition of that very document. Such approach requires the archivists to determine whether they should preserve a certain document or not based upon the meaning, functions and status of the entity that produced the document or the meaning of the documentation practice itself, rather than the actual document. With regard to the task of evaluating the official documents created and issued by the Joseon Governor General office and involved the city plans devised by the office back then, this author established total of 4 primary tasks that would prove crucial in the process of determining whether or not a particular theme, or event, or an ideology should be selected and documents involving those themes, events and ideologies should be preserved as important sources of information regarding the Korean history of the Japanese occupation period. Those four tasks are as follow: First, the archivists should study the current and past trends of historical researches. The archivists, who are usually not in the position of having comprehensive access to historical details, must consult the historians' studies and also the trends mirrored in such studies, in their efforts of selecting important historical events and themes. Second, the archivists should determine the level of importance of the officials who worked inside the Joseon Governor General office as they were the entities that produced the very documents. It is only natural to assume that the level of importance of a particular document must have been determined by the level of importance(in terms of official functions) of the official who authorized the document and ordered it to be released. Third, the archivists should be made well aware of the inner structure and official functions of the Joseon Governor General office, so that they can have more appropriate analyses. Fourth, in order to collect historically important documents that involved the Koreans(the Joseon people), the archivists should analyze not only the functions of the Joseon Governor General office in general but also certain areas of the Office's business in which the Japanese officials and the Koreans would have interacted with each other. The act of analyzing the documents only based upon their respective levels of apparent importance might lead the archivists to miss certain documents that reflected the Koreans' situation or were related to the general interest of the Korean people. This kind of evaluation should provide data that are required in appraising how well the Joseon Governor General office's function of devising city plans were documented back then, and how well they are preserved today, utilizing a comparative study involving the Joseon Governor General office's own evaluations of its documentations and the current status of documents that are in custody of the National Archive. The task would also end up proposing a specialized strategy of collecting data and documents that is direly needed in establishing a well-designed comprehensive archives. We should establish a plan regarding certain documents that were documented by the Joseon Governor General office but do not remain today, and devise a task model for the job of primary collecting that would take place in the future.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.254-275
• /
• 2018

Taiwan and Korea have common memories of colonization by Japan. Therefore, for researchers studying colonial times, the two countries are becoming good comparative studies. In this article, a comparison of cultural properties systems between Taiwan and Joseon revealed the following. First, from a legal point of view, Japan's internalism was reflected to some extent in Taiwan. Accordingly, Taiwan's "Enforcement regulations for Historical scenic spot scenic natural monument storage method(short, Enforcement regulations)" was subordinate to Japanese law, and the Joseon's "Enforcement ordinances for Treasure and Historical scenic spot scenic natural monument storage method in Joseon(short, Enforcement ordinances)" was less than the preservation order of Taiwan. But it is not possible to equate the two differences to Japan's oppressive levels. Second, while the Joseon's "Enforcement ordinances" enactment referred to relevant laws that were promulgated in Japan, it is highly likely that Taiwan's "Enforcement regulations" When establishing Joseon's "Enforcement ordinances" order, it is reasonable to assume that all laws concerning cultural properties of Japan and Taiwan were taken into consideration. Third, the difference between Taiwan and Joseon in the quantity and content designated as cultural properties was huge. The difference in the designated quantity between Taiwan and Joseon was the difference between traditional cultural resources between the two regions, which led to 14 times more cultural properties designated in Joseon than in Taiwan. And while nearly half of Taiwan's history was the vestiges of Japan's ruling power, few of the ancient sites designated by the Joseon had traces of Japanese ruling forces. This is the result of a difference in the views that the two powers had on cultural properties.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
• /
• v.66 no.3
• /
• pp.32-50
• /
• 2016

The purpose of this study is to reveal the process of enactment and revision, the contents of the police uniform system by the Government-General of Joseon, and to examine the relationship between the uniform system and the ruling policies of Imperialist Japan. The research methodology involved document research of official gazettes that published legislation on the police uniform system. Political background was referenced from various preceding studies. The research results are as follows. The Japanese invasion of Korea, in regards to the police, appeared as infiltrations through the three routes of consular police, temporary military police, and inside the Korean police. Each organization had different uniform systems, and after the installation of the Japanese police in 1907, the uniform system of high level officers of the Korea police was changed to the Japanese-style. After the installation of the Government-General of Joseon in 1910, a police uniform system was not enacted until 1918, with the exception being made for police officers due to the military police system. The 'Police Officer Uniform System of the Government-General of Joseon' enacted in 1918 stood out for its golden insignia on solidly colored fabric, which effectively indicated rank, as well as the Japanese flag pattern and the cherry blossom pattern, which symbolized imperialist Japan, on the cap badge and insignia. The 1918 uniform system had many differences from the Japanese system of the time in terms of design, perhaps due to the political autonomy of the governor-general. The 1918 uniform system was completely revised in 1932. This uniform system was modified in various ways. The system was almost identical to the Japanese system at that time. This is the result of Japan's intent to dominate Korea, which involved assimilating Korea into Japan with the purpose of conducting a full-fledged invasion of the continent after the Manchurian Incident.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
• /
• v.51 no.1
• /
• pp.100-125
• /
• 2018

The Japanese colonial authority investigated and institutionalized Korea's cultural properties for the purpose of governance. This process was conducted by Japanese officials and scholars, and systematized after making some changes. The Reservation Rule (1916) and the cultural properties designated in 1934 were actually the starting point for Korea's current cultural property policy. In the view of lineup of 'committee' that consider all of cultural property and changing of 'cultural property list', this study discusses the cultural property policy implemented by Joseon's Government-General, which can be summarized as follows. First, Joseon's Government-General formed a committee (Preservation Society) to formulate the cultural property policy, and had the policy implemented by appointing Governor officials who accounted for more than half the total number of officials of the institution. Although some Koreans were concerned about this, they had no influence on the matter. Second, the cultural properties listed by Joseon's Government-General are divided into three periods according to the lists. The compilation of the first list was led by Sekino Tadashi, who represented the grading system (1909~1916); while that of the second list (1917~1933) was led by Guroita Gatsumi, who represented listing (1917~1933). Guroita Gatsumi tried to erase Sekino Tadashi's list by formulating the cultural property policy and the list - a situation that was revealed in the system and the actual contents of the list. The third list was made as a list of designated cultural properties in 1934. This list also reflected the results of Sekino Tadashi investigation of the important cultural properties at existing temples that had been excluded from the previous regulations (1934~1945). In this way, a basic framework for the listing of Korean cultural properties was established in 1934.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.55-87
• /
• 2023

Objectives : To examine changes in Korean Medicine during Japanese occupation through major Joseoneo dictionaries. Methods : Based on the Keun Sajeon, published in 1957 by the Korean Language Society, the most recently published among the major dictionaries under Japanese occupation, key Korean Medical terminology in the Joseoneo Sajeon, published in 1920 by the governor-general of Joseon, and the Joseoneo Sajeon, published in 1938 by Mun Seyeong were analyzed. The differences among the dictionaries provided insight into the situation which Korean Medicine was in. Results : 1) There was a lack of consistency among Korean Medical terminology. 2) Changes in medical policies and legislation were reflected in the Korean Medical terminology without much delay. 3) Korean Medicine was distinguished as a separate category in the Keun Sajeon for the first time. 4) With the exception of Korean Medicine specific terminology, most were explained using 'modern' concepts and ontology. Conclusions : Modernization lead by the Japanese splintered many areas of Joseon society, and Korean Medicine was no exception. This transition period as reflected in the terminology within the Joseoneo dictionaries show that Korean Medicine went through a process of regulation by changes in medical policies and legislation, while new, modern studies brought in by the Japanese started replacing language and ontology of pre-occupation Joseon. A look into Korean Medicine during Japanese occupation through Joseoneo dictionaries allows us to examine the connection between Korean Medicine and the more broader historical context in which it was situated.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.801-810
• /
• 2015

The royal astronomical observatory compiled the Astronomical Almanac during the Joseon dynasty, though there were some changes of its organization. However, the observatory underwent sudden changes in the late period mainly due to the influence of historical events such as the Gabo (甲午) and The Eulmi (乙未) Reforms in 1894 and 1895, respectively, and the Japanese invasion in 1910. In this paper, we study the changes of the compilation institution of the Korean Astronomical Almanac and of its organization for the period of 1894 to 1912. During this period, the name of the observatory had been changed several times, from Gwansanggam (觀象監) to Gwansangguk (觀象局) in 1894 and to Gwansangso (觀象所) in 1895. In addition, the affair of the Astronomical Almanac compilation was transferred to the Editorial Bureau [編輯局] of the Ministry of Education [學部] and to the Editing Department [編輯課] of the Governor-General of Korea [朝鮮總督府]. In 1907, the Gwansangso was abolished. Moreover, the affair of timekeeping was separated and the official number of personnel was reduced to less than 5% compared to that of Gwansanggam. Consequently, the royal astronomical observatory was significantly reduced in terms of its functions and the organization through the process of those changes. Therefore, we believe that this period is important when seeking to understand the transition between the traditional Astronomical Almanac of the Joseon dynasty and its modern astronomical counterpart of the present day.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning & Design
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.33-40
• /
• 2018

The society for conservation of local historical properties in Korea originated in Japan. It was transplanted by Joseon Governor-General to represent their positions in the field of the conservations of the cultural properties. Also the society for conservation of local historic properties represented the positions of the provincial government office because the representatives of that societies were the chief of local government offices. At that time, the fundamental concept of the historical property conservations was not settled, so they accomplished the conservation activities as the necessary way for themselves.They often made a proposal about repairs for conservation of historical building and suggested a application for the national budget. And they contributed to carry out the repair works of the historical properties in the early Japanese colonial period. But they was usually used to invigorate the tourism and to publicize the regional characteristics through the historical properties. Although the societies were privately-managed as a matter of form, they were governmentally-managed as a matter of fact. It was the limits of the societies for conservation of local historical properties at that time.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
• /
• v.56 no.2
• /
• pp.206-220
• /
• 2023

In the royal publishing process of the Joseon Dynasty, the main species of wood used for woodblock printing was recorded as Jajak-mok. Although the name Jajak-mok may suggest Jajak-namu(white birch), it is presumed to refer to a different type of wood than Jajak-namu based on its recorded habitat and usage in historical documents. The aim of this paper is to clarify that during the Joseon Dynasty, the term Jajak-mok referred to Geojesu-namu (Korean birch), while Jajak-namu was called Hwa-mok(樺木). Additionally, this paper explores how the term Jajakmok eventually became the name of white birch, Jajak-namu, used today. In the mid-18th century, Japan used the character 樺(hwa) to refer to Beot-namu(Sargent cherry). As Japanese encyclopedias entered Joseon, the term Hwa-mok began to refer to both Beot-namu and Jajak-namu, which is also called Bot-namu. Since the pronunciation of Boet-namu and Bot-namu are similar, the two trees were eventually unified under the name Boet-namu. In the 20th century, the official names of three trees were established. According to notifications issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce of the Korean Empire in 1910 and the Governor-General of Chosen in 1912, Hwa-mok(white birch) was renamed asJajak-namu. In 1968, Beot-namu(Sargent cherry) retained its original name, and Jajak-mok(Korean birch) was remained . In modern Chinese character dictionaries, the meaning of 樺(hwa) is listed as "1. Beot-namu(Sargent cherry), 2. Jajak-namu(white birch)." From this, we can infer the historical background in which the names of these three trees were mixed up.

• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
• /
• no.67
• /
• pp.205-236
• /
• 2021

This study examined the record destruction problem systematically implemented by the Japanese colonial rule during the wartime period, centering on the persistence of the remaining records of Government-General of Chosen. It became clearer to recognize the historical probabilities that the decisions made by the Japanese cabinet were carried out on official documents in the same way throughout the empire, including mainland Japan and colonies. It was also confirmed that a system for disposing of records, such as reduction and organization of public documents, and recycling of paper resources, has already been established against the backdrop of the situation where the war spread and the war situation worsened after the late 1930s. In addition, it was attempted to extract the types and characteristics of documents discarded by the Japanese colonial rule through a review of the regulations on handling secret documents of the Government-General of Chosen and the regulations on the police department. At the same time, it was found that various chiefs (subsidiaries) that could know the status of documents to be retained or the status of preservation according to the governmental regulations revealed that there was no single book, and this was directly related to the massive destruction of official documents by the Joseon Governor-General immediately after defeat.

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