During the Colonial Period, Japanese government’s cultural policy at once implanted imperial ideology into Koreans and transformed and utilized Korean traditional culture in its ideological way. The investigations of historical sites were carried ou...
During the Colonial Period, Japanese government’s cultural policy at once implanted imperial ideology into Koreans and transformed and utilized Korean traditional culture in its ideological way. The investigations of historical sites were carried out in this context. By judging what should be investigated and how objects gained through investigation could be “reserved,” the project of investigations reconfigured and transformed the Korean history and, furthermore, plundered ruins and antiques. This study will overview the investigation of historical sites executed by Japanese government, examine its plunders of antiques during this project, and reveal the dual aspects in establishing museum by the project, through scrutinizing the official report of the investigation issued by Japanese government. This study also attempts to review various activities of local societies for reserving historical sites as a foundation enabling the project.
At first, before the colonial ruling period, it was admitted that the incomers and individuals did the illegal excavations and robberies and the police and officials bought and collected the antiques illegally. With these “illegal” robberies, the professional scholars launched “legal” investigations of historical sites, the exemplar one of which was one by Sekino Tadashi(關野貞). The investigation by scholars including Sekino began in 1902, and it was resumed in 1909 and continued till 1915. They intensively examined on old buildings and classified them by reserving values. What they investigated from old buildings gave rise to the foundations on which Japanese government could facilitate its local control using them as facilities for governing. Therefore, the investigation by Sekino was less an academic research than a survey for colonial rule. It served as a previous step for establishing organizations and laws in 1916.
The year of 1916 is an important moment for Japanese investigation of historical sites. It was in this year that Japanese government organized a committee for investigating historical sites and launched the 5 years’ project of investigation. The project focused on the remains from the ancient period to Koryu Dynasty. It, especially, excavated sites of Hansaguns(漢四郡) around Pyongyang, tombs of Gaya in Kungnam, and sites of Shilla around Gyeongju. The robberies from tombs of Koryu Dynasty also occurred.
During 1920s, which is called the “arrangement period” of the investigation, the arrangement of Korean antiques and remains were specified by yearly excavations and examinations. However, because of the limited aspects of law and the lack of budget, investigations covered, like 1910s, only areas beneficial for colonial regime, rather than wider areas. In 1916,「the Reservation Rule」was issued for controlling the reservation and keeping of remains. The effects of the rule, however, were not remarkable, so the missing or carrying out of relics by investigators usually happened throughout the sites.
The investigations led by the committee for investigation were, particularly, going side by side the edition of Korean history led by the committee for Korean history. Those who participated in the committee for investigation also took part in writing Korean history. Through these co-relationships by those who participated in both committees, two projects went side by side, fortifying the ideologically biased historiography in colonial Korea.
During 1930s, however, with breaking out of the wars, Japanese government’s investigations shrank, since it gave priority practical issues to ideological ones. To avoid these difficulties and continue investigations, Guroita Gatsumi(黑板勝美) raised finance from various institutions and the rich and established the society for the investigation of Korean historical sites as a non-government organization. But, since the society was established in order to investigate only sites in Pyongyang and Gyeongju area, the coverage by investigation in Korea became more limited to Pyongyang and Gyeongju area.
Meanwhile, Japanese government issued the laws concerning cultural assets:「the Reservation Rule」 in 1916 and「the Reservation Act」 in 1933. Though both are closely related with government, while the Rule does not include articles on the limit of ownership and natural preservation, the Act supplemented those articles, changed status from registration to appointment, strengthened punishments, and enlarged the coverage of the cultural assets.
Especially, since the Act reorganized government’s institutions for investigation of historical sites and established the society for the investigation of Korean antiques and the society for reservation of Korean treasures, scenery view, remains, and natural monuments, the society for investigation of Korean antiques took charge of excavation, examination, and publication and the society for reservation of Korean treasures, scenery view, remains, and natural monuments took charge of reservation. The society for reservation systematically arranged the assignment for Korean cultural assets by yearly assignments. The members of two societies worked relating each other.
Because Japanese investigation of Korean historical sites was one of ways of channeling the colonial ideology, it continued throughout colonial regime despite financial difficulties. Unfortunately, the antiques collected by the investigations were traded out in spite of law’s control, either for academic purpose or for collectors’ preference. We can see that there was not entire and systematic control for the antiques from excavations and they were dispersed or carried out.
Japanese government commenced the museum enterprise to “exhibit” the dependency through Korean history which it tried to prove by the investigations. By establishing the museum, it attempted to induce retrospective perspectives through the “respects for the tradition” and inculcate justifying logic from the fabricated history.
The museum established by Japanese government, therefore, was, from the first time, a sort of “administrative facility” directed by the government, rather than an autonomous “cultural facility.” It is proved by the organization and associated departments of the museum. The museum was managed by the commission of the association for the museum and the committee for the investigation of historical sites. From the identification of the members of two groups, we can assure that establishing museum and investigating the sited proceeded on the same ground.
The museum established by Japanese government dealt with ordinary works of museum with small staffs. They exhibited the relics attained in manners of purchase, collection, and donation. Among the sources of purchase or donation, we can find the names of those who participated in the investigations from the early times. In this way, the exhibitions in the museum accomplished the incorporation of the colonial historiography on which Japanese government had emphasized. In the late period of colonial regime, the government promoted establishment of the general museum for education of creating the subjects of Japanese empire and set up the museum’s season for the special exhibition advertising the identification between Korea and Japan.
If we classify the antiques in Illustrations of Korean Historical Sites issued by Japanese government by places of possession or owner, we can see that these antiques belonged to public offices such as schools and individual collectors, as well as the government. Particularly among these individual collectors, there are not a small number of scholars who participated in the investigations of historical sites. Because the antiques from the excavations were dispersed by offices or individuals, in many cases, even the catalogue for the antiques could not be formed.
In each region, with the execution of the investigation by Japanese government, societies for the reservation of historical sites established themselves since 1910s. These societies served as local department for supporting the government’s investigations. Furthermore, the societies in the areas where Japanese government paid attention from the first time·that is, Gyeongju, Buyeo, Pyongyang, Kaesung, and Gongju·became the matrix for local museums.
Especially in cases of Gyeongju and Buyeo, as they are historical sited related with “the conquest of three-Hans by Shingong empress”(神功皇后 三韓征伐) and “the identification between Korean and Japan,”(내선일체) the local societies for reservation of historic sites were heightened into foundations and established as the branches of government’s museum. By local developments and amplifications of accommodations and traffics facilities, government developed these areas into courses for tourism and “advertised” colonial ideology by historical remains and relics.
In cases of Pyongyang and Kaesung, where museum were established by provincial governments, there were attempts to enhance into branches of government’s museum, but they were not realized within the period of colonial regime. Pyongyang museum established by provincial government, particularly, endeavored to prove the dependency throughout Korean history by exhibiting the remains from the Nakrang period. It also encouraged tourism for historical sites and museum. In case of Kaesung museum established by provincial government, however, could not be supported by the government and could not show active working, because it was not directly related with colonial historiography. Although they were on the same level as museums established by provincial government, they showed differences in scale and kinds of enterprises according to the purpose of establishment. We can see again the close relationship between the enterprise of museum and the colonial ideology.
As for societies in other areas, they were mostly established for reservation of historical sites and particular ruins. Among them, the society in Gongju established Baekjae Museum amounting to local museum. Archeological society in Pusan, which has similar character as societies for reservation of historical sites, tried to establish museum, but failed. Many other societies, including one in Gimhae, showed not a few activities, but did not reach to the establishment of museum.
The number of local societies for reservation of historical sites in colonial period was total 50. Most of them were established for reservation of local historical sites and management of specific ruins. Some of them were established for preserving the sites related with Korean-Japanese war at Imjin-year. In cases of remains concerning this war, preserving them was not easy because of Japanese’s destruction and interruption, while the sites related with Japanese victory were amplified through “enhancement” enterprises.
Therefore, we can conclude that the investigations of historical sites done by Japanese government were executed as verification for inventing colonial historiography. This project was extended into establishing museums in extremely political manner. Through the project, the history which Japanese want to shows and tells was “reconfigured” by evidences. During this process, our antiques were distorted, dispersed, and carried out.