Japanese magazines and newspapers began to circulate in Joseon after 1876, when three major ports in Japan were opened. In the early days after the opening of the ports, there were a lot of Japanese who traveled in Joseon to take advantage of the war ...
Japanese magazines and newspapers began to circulate in Joseon after 1876, when three major ports in Japan were opened. In the early days after the opening of the ports, there were a lot of Japanese who traveled in Joseon to take advantage of the war and take economic advantages. But, due to the unstable situation during the war, various kinds of magazines could not be published. However, since 1905, when the Japanese colonial rule was implemented in the Joseon Dynasty, intellectual class including civil servants and teachers from Japan felt the need to have their own means of exchanging information. Since 1910, when Joseon was forced to be merged, Joseon became a place for long-term residence among Japanese people, and publications for Japanese readers staying in Joseon grew rapidly after this period. Through major Japanese magazines such as 『Joseon(朝鮮)』, 『Joseon Peninsula(韓半島)』, 『Joseon Business(朝鮮之実業)』 and 『Joseon Public Opinion(朝鮮公論)』, Japanese in Joseon shared the information of the Joseon Dynasty, kept in contact with the culture of the Japanese mainland far away, and try to maintain their identity. And after the Sino – Japanese War in 1937, the Joseon Peninsula was once again under the influence of war, and Japan’s imperialist national policy and ‘the Naeseon Ilche(内鮮一体: Joseon and Japan are One)’ policy were accelerated. 『Tourist Joseon(観光朝鮮)』 and 『Modern Japanese Joseon Edition(モダン日本 朝鮮版)』 which were published at that time covered the contents similar to the above-mentioned magazines, while adding the perception of Joseon that the Japanese had in mind. These magazines were made up of contents of a new perspective on the image of the original Joseon, which was nothing more than an image of Joseon which was subjectively interpreted by Japanese living in Joseon.
In this study, I tried to understand how Japanese in Joseon perceived Joseon and how they wanted to enhance their presence despite being apart from the mainland of Japan by analyzing articles in the 1939 and 1940 『Modern Japanese Joseon Edition』. The magazine appears to be a typical mass culture magazine composed of various articles but at the same time consistently infuses the ideas that support the Naeseon Ilche policy claims. It also insists on the establishment of cultural similarities between the Joseon peninsula and the Japanese archipelago on the theme of myth and ancient culture, and urges the readers to treat Joseon and other cities in the mainland on an equal footing. It also promotes the opportunity to raise money in Joseon through the special procurement. Above all, it shows how superficially biased the perception of Joseon in Japanese’ mind was at that time, by dealing with the contents of the praise of Joseon's scenery and ‘Gisaeng(妓生: Korean geisha)’ throughout the magazine. The images of Joseon appearing in the magazines describes Joseon as a place where the Naeseon Ilche policy is deeply settled, and people can enjoy a great quality of life and can find a chance to make big money. It is expressed as a place where there is a beautiful environment and the Gisaeng.
The position of Japanese in Joseon, which had been dominant in the Joseon Dynasty, but which was also classified as 'outsider' from the mainland Japanese, is well represented throughout the 'Modern Japanese Joseon Version'. The magazine emphasizes the political and economic significance of Joseon at all times, praises its beauty, and emphasizes the Naeseon Ilche policy, which is strongly supported by the Japanese in Joseon. As a means of increasing the status of Japanese in Joseon, Joseon is portrayed as playing a pivotal role in the coming era, depicted in a beautifully controlled, beautifully arranged image of their desires.
In the background of "Modern Japanese Joseon Version", it is confirmed that Japanese in Joseon had such a desire.