This research explores the effects of the policies for traditional culture preservation and development implemented by the central and local governments in Korea on Jeonju Hanok Village and its residents. The village of Hanok, a traditional type of ho...
This research explores the effects of the policies for traditional culture preservation and development implemented by the central and local governments in Korea on Jeonju Hanok Village and its residents. The village of Hanok, a traditional type of house, is located at Jeonju city and one of the largest Hanok residencies in Korea. The village is composed of around 4,000 residents who live in 700 Hanok and 121 non-Honoks.
Jeonju Hanok Village was designated as "Hanok preservation district" in 1977. Since then, the renovation of Hanok was allowed under strict regulations and only the remodelling of non-Hanok was approved. As a result, Jeonju Hanok Village that was a residential area for traditional and rich aristocrats called Yang-Ban in the past turned into a most outdated area in Jeonju city.
The circumstances have dramatically changed since mid-1990s. There have been growing interests and concerns of culture industry and tourism for traditional culture in Korea. As a result, Hanok and Hanok villages were constructed as a national heritage and gradually became a crucial tourist resource for Korean traditional culture. Especially, around the 2002 World Cup, the policies for both preserving and developing Jeonju Hanok Village have been enforced to the village residents, which resulted in the change of not only physical environments but also social cultural nature of the village.
Under the circumstances, this study seeks to examine and analyze several points as follows.
First, this study examines the historical change of Jeonju Hanok Village, which has been greatly influenced by several administrative policies on the preservation and development of the village. It explores how the social cultural characteristics of the villagers have generally changed as a result of the policies.
Second, this study deals with social cultural differentiation of the villagers in each historical period. In this study, the time of immigration, residential sections within the village, and residential forms are regarded as three crucial factors to differentiate the villagers socially and culturally.
Third, this study explores how the social and cultural differentiation in the village results in conflicts among the villagers and between the villagers and outsiders such as administrative officers and other social activists for cultural preservation. In this study, it is analyzed how the villagers interpret the policies and discourses on preservation and development of their own village differently in accordance with the social and cultural differentiation.
Lastly, this study attempts to interpret Jeonju Hanok Village residents' various responses to the policies administrated by Jeonju local government and supported by artists and social activists in Jeonju. It is explored when and whether or not the residents struggle against and cooperate with the policy implementers and the supporters of the policies outside the village.