Nowadays, Regions are constituted through the process of building regional identity, which is made of development of the territorial shape as a perceived space, formation of the symbolic shape as a residents' conscious space, and emergence of institut...
Nowadays, Regions are constituted through the process of building regional identity, which is made of development of the territorial shape as a perceived space, formation of the symbolic shape as a residents' conscious space, and emergence of institutions as a social space which reinforce the roles and significances of the territorial shape and symbolic shape. Having become an important part of ‘production and reproduction of a region', the identity is placed as an agenda for a particular purpose a variety of subjects who make proper use of the relation of power and knowledge and the logic of segregation and exclusion so that they can accomplish the purpose. In this way, various institutional factors are involved in the process of constituting regional identity. Therefore, the concepts of ‘regional identity’ and ‘institutionalization’ can be the meaningful approach to the process of forming regional identity, the process of constituting region.
In case of Nae-Po region, various institutional factors are involved in the process of constituting the regional identity. Each unit representing institutional agents commonly suggests ‘building of the regional identity’ as an objective of regional study or a presupposition of regional development. However, Nae-Po region has attracted people's attentions in various ways and purpose, having been constituted in various contents. Therefore the regional geographical study of Nae-Po region requires analyzing the territory, symbols, the reality of institutions and standpoint that each institutional subject proposes variously.
Though Nae-Po region had been recognized as a geographical region and existed objectively on the basis of homogeneity and nodality, it had been considered as a fossilized region until the latest time. Such a long history of discontinuity has caused inconsistency of interpretations regarding the territory and symbols of Nae-Po region, which is the reason why assertion regarding the territory or symbols of Nae-Po should be based on the historical facts. In other words, the process of constituting Nae-Po identity can't be interpreted meaningfully without analysis of historical facts that lie on the other side of the various phenomenal viewpoints about territory and symbols. Therefore the regional geographical approach to Nae-Po requires essentially the empirical research that applies the traditional concept of homogeneity and nodality.
This distinctiveness of Nae-Po enlarged the necessity and adequateness of synthetic approach that includes the traditional concepts and concept of identity. Thus this study has performed the regional geographical approach by applying the concepts of homogeneity, nodality and identity. The result of each study is summarized as follows.
1. Cultural homogeneity
The most prominent characteristic of Nae-Po culture is that Nae-Po is a mixed area. This characteristic is revealed in the factors of people-oriented culture such as dialect and folk song, and Nae-Po had made a unique homogeneity different from the Ho-Nam(湖南) and Kyoung-Gi(京畿) regions. In addition, Nae-Po culture represents the cultural trait of ‘near the Capital (近畿)’. Sijo(korean verse, 時調), Confucian culture and Catholic culture show this trait so well. Nae-Po Je Sijo(內浦制時調), as the transformation of Kyoung Je(京制), had been developed in Ye-San that had been especially advantageous site to link with Capital, Han-Yang. Then it had diffused to the near regions. Many of the scholar officials called Sadaebu in Nae-Po had had a close connection with Kyoung-Gi Do as well as Han-Yang, and they had maintained intimate relationship with the central government. It is also shown in early missionary work of Catholic in Nae-Po that advantage of accessibility to the Capital had been an important reason to diffuse centering around near the A-San bay.
On the other hand, it is said that the period representing Nae-Po's cultural homogeneity obviously is the middle of Cho-Sun dynasty. The number of scholar officials in Nae-Po had been increased since the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592. And most of them had immigrated and settled in Nae-Po. The early missions of Catholic had been performed actively since the late 18 century. Nae-Po Je Sijo had diffused to Nae-Po region in 19 century.
Considering the distribution of each homogeneous cultural elements, the territory of Nae-Po is the western area of Cha-Ryoung(車嶺) Mountains, which stretches from the south-western A-San Shi to north-western Po-Ryoung Shi. And the core of Nae-Po is said to be today's Ye-San Gun and Hong-Seong Gun region.
2. Formation and transformation of Nodality
Market area is adopted as a central index to study the formation and transformation process of nodality because the study focusing on periodic market(場市) is considered meaningful in social and cultural aspects as well as economic aspect and makes it possible to understand the process of vicissitude of the region and the substantial boundary which had formed the spatial structure.
Though the periodic market firstly emerged in 16c, inter-regional linkage had not been active until 18c, because a market area was restricted to the nearest places. Most of the markets developed in the administrative offices(邑 治), army bases(鎭營), transportation centers(驛院).
From late 18c to early 19c, the hierarchy of the periodic markets started to be formed and the market area was made around the core markets. Each market area was formed with range of 40-Ri or so. The merchandises could be circulated in all Nae-Po regions through the joint of each range. Five market areas were constructed in Nae-Po, constituting close and systematic network of markets centering in Hong-Ju located in the central place of Nae-Po geographically. The range of whole market area was in western Cha-Ryoung spread out from Sin-Chang Hyun to Po-Ryoung Hyun, which was in accordance with the activity sphere of Pobusangs such as Ye-Deok Sangmusa(禮德商務社) and Won Hong-Ju Yuk Gun Sangmusa(元洪州六郡商務 社).
The spatial structure of Nae-Po was greatly changed by colonial plundering system after 1910s. In this period, markets developed in modern transportation node such as waterway and road and in the major places of producing rice. Ye-San and Kwang-cheon had possessed these merits, by which both regions had started growing to the prominent markets. Hong-Ju which had been the central region in Nae-Po declined considerably due to this change, which caused the change of spatial structure of Nae-Po.
Traditional market area started to be dissolved in 1920s due to the population growth and transportation development. In turn, the changed market structure that sold goods imported from the outside and took out inner agricultural products transformed the traditional market structure that a number of periodic markets formed network on the basis of interdependence. Ye-San that had grown to be a big commercial center became the first node in Nae-Po region and was finally ranked within the 20th of the national market areas because Ye-San had better accessibility to In-Cheon and Seoul than others. And Cheon-An was linked to Nae-Po by the road and railroad (Jang-Hang Seon). All these caused the deconstruction of the traditional spatial structure. In 1920s, since Nae-Po's nodality formed on the basis of the linkage of markets and topographical isolation was dissolved, Nae-Po began to lose its significance as a nodal region. After the liberation from Japanese ruling, the markets in every province became the independent ones. All of these markets were included into the market area of Seoul, so Nae-Po lost its significance as a nodal region.
3. Constitution of regional identity
The institutional agents involved in the process of constituting Nae-Po identity are the residents, regional newspapers, provincial research groups, professional research institutions, local government and central government. According to analysis of all these institutional elements, the process of institutionalization in Nae-Po is summarized as follows.
Firstly, ‘a number of regions around the Ga-Ya Mt’ is generally considered as a definition of territorial shape of Nae-Po. But traditional territory of Nae-Po is distorted considerably by the regional development project.
Secondly, the formation of symbolic shapes appears in various aspects, which mostly relate to the cultural and historical traditions. Abundance and variety of symbol can basically raise the possibility of use of symbols. A variety of symbols, however, mostly consist of elements which do not have in common in times and contents. Therefore, the symbolic shapes consolidating and rationalizing the roles and values that encompass the entire areas of Nae-Po are not obviously represented yet.
Lastly, emergence of institutions is only in the basic stage, so controlling and standardizing the roles and expectations which encompass the entire areas of Nae-Po are not performed actively. Most important institutions are regional newspapers, provincial research groups and their publications, mass rallies, public events and so on, which have influence on constituting the regional identity through by interpreting the territorial shape and symbols and diffusing the knowledge about it.
All of these stages of institutionalization mentioned above influence the constitution of regional identity. In conclusion, Nae-Po does not reach to the stage of constitution of region based on the regional identity. Nae-Po is strongly known as the region which has been defined by external demand and necessity historically. Therefore, Nae-Po has been defined discontinuously by the change of interests and the influential subjects. Recent growing interest in Nae-Po results from the same context and Nae-Po has been experiencing more powerful influence of a variety of institutional elements than ever. Considering the concept of institutionalization, Nae-Po is in the process of the development of territorial shape, the formation of the symbolic shape and the emergence of institutions simultaneously in a short period. Accordingly, each stage is still in progress, but does not succeed in leading up to forming the firm regional identity.