• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.21-35
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• 2018

In recent years, there has been a tendency to reuse 'landscapes of memory,' including industrial heritages, modern cultural heritages, and post-industrial parks, as public spaces in many cities. Among the various types of landscapes, 'modern historic landscapes', which were formed in the 19th and 20th centuries, are landscapes where the debate between conservation and removal is most frequent, according to the change of evaluation and recognition of modern history. This study examines conflicts between conservation and removal around modern historic landscapes and explores the value judgment criteria and the process of formation of those landscapes, as highlighted in the case of the demolition controversy of the old Japanese general government building in Seoul, which was dismantled in 1995. First, this study reviews newspaper articles, television news and debate programs from 1980-1999 and some articles related to the controversy of the Japanese general government building. Then it draws the following six factors as the main issues of the demolition controversy of the building: symbolic location, discoveries and responses of new historical facts, reaction and intervention of a related country, financial conditions, function and usage of the landscape, changes of urban, historical and architectural policies. Based on these issues, this study examines the conflicts between symbolic values that play an important role in the formation of modern historic landscapes and determines conservation or removal, and the utility of functional values that solve the problems and respond to criticisms that arise in the process of forming the modern historic landscape. Especially, it is noted that the most important factor that makes the decision is the symbolic values, although the determination of the conservation or removal of modern historic landscapes has changed according to changes in historical perceptions of modern history. Today, the modern historic landscape is an important site for urban design, and still has historical issues to be agreed upon and addressed. Thi study has contemporary significance from the point that it divides the many values of modern historic landscapes into symbolic values and functional values, evaluates these, and reviews the background social context.