• Journal of architectural history
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.21-34
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• 2023

The purpose of this research is to investigate Korean architects' perception of the Modern Movement in architecture in the West during the Japanese colonial period, by analyzing two Korean publications in the 1930s: Park Dongjin's 'Present Architectural Tendency' (Dong-A Ilbo, March 1931) and Hong Yunsick's 'Trend in the Thought of Moderne Baukunst' (Chogwang, September 1937). As a result of the investigation, it is confirmed that the two men welcomely accepted the universal modernity, regarding the rational and functional - rather than subjective expressions of the individual - as the key to modern architecture. Although their perception of the Modern Movement in Western architecture was inevitably superficial due to the limited condition of the Japanese colonial period in Korea, there was an obvious advancement in the latter's perception from the former's, reflecting the progress in knowledge of it over the six and a half years between the two. Therefore, it is argued that their 1930s' writings are meaningful as the first Korean publications that illustrate how Korean architectural circles perceived the contemporary architectural movement in the West.

• Journal of architectural history
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.49-62
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• 2023

This research aims to investigate Park Kilyong's architectural theory and critique of Gyeongseong (Seoul) buildings, expressed in his 'Overview of Modern Buildings in Gyeongseong' and 'Critique of Gyeongseong Buildings' (Samcheolli, Sept. and Oct. 1935); and 'Architectural Form of the 100% Function' and 'The Modern and Architecture (1)-(4)' (Dong-A Daily, 28 Jul. to 1 Aug. 1936). As a result, it is confirmed that Park had the functionalist theory of modern architecture, which suggests that Korean architects of the Japanese colonial period were accommodating the contemporary trend of world architecture. However, Park shows his fundamental limitations in the fact that the main content of his articles was a verbatim translation of two Japanese references (Kurata, 1927; Ishihara, 1929) without proper indications. Despite the limitations, his texts are still meaningful since he formed his own architectural theory on the basis of what he translated; and indeed his critique of Gyeongseong buildings, however simple, was based on the theory. This research makes a critical analysis of Park's functionalist theory from both the 1930s' and present points of view and compares his commentaries on Gyeongseong architecture with those by Ko Yu-seop (1932) and Hong Yunsick (1937), illustrating how Korea perceived architecture and modernism in 1930s.