This study focuses on the city district revision and urban area planning during the Japanese colonial era, which were the basis for the formation of the current urban landscape of Jeonju. In the process of dismantling Jeonju-eupseong (fortress), which...
This study focuses on the city district revision and urban area planning during the Japanese colonial era, which were the basis for the formation of the current urban landscape of Jeonju. In the process of dismantling Jeonju-eupseong (fortress), which represents Joseon Dynasty, and changing Jeonju into a colonial modern city, the changes in urban landscape and its characteristics were examined from a sociocultural point of view. To this end, a literature review, participatory observation, and old map analysis were conducted, and based on this, public institution landscapes, commercial and residential landscapes, religious landscapes, and educational landscapes were examined.
The reason for selecting Jeonju is as follows: First, as a traditional cultural city, Jeonju remains a major symbolic landscape of the Joseon Dynasty. Second, Jeonju is a typical type of local small and medium-sized city formed during the Japanese colonial period and has long served as the center of local culture and administration. Third, it was the dismantling of the fortress that had the greatest impact on the change in the spatial structure of Jeonju. Fourth, the framework of mordern downtown development of JeonJu was prepared according to the city district revision and urban area planning that were implemented during the Japanese colonial period. Lastly, the old city center of Jeonju has a lot of history and symbolism, but compared to other regions, there are relatively few ancient documents, photographic materials, and research related to Jeonju studies. With great luck, the objectivity of this study has been obtained through the documentary records of the memories of ordinary people who had lived in JeonJu over this period.
The process of city district revision during the Japanese colonial period and the changes in urban landscape formed as a result are as follows.
As for public institutions, government office buildings from the Joseon Dynasty were used by the Japanese government. With the establishment of modern colonial buildings such as government offices, police stations, banks, schools, and hospitals, the traditional urban spatial structures were dismantled in full force. In particular, the Japanese destroyed the symbolic spaces of the Joseon Dynasty together with the demolition of the Jeonju-eupseong, the fortress.
In terms of commercial and residential landscape, during the Japanese colonial era, the main residential space for Japanese people was along roads, and their commercial districts were also concentrated around newly opened roads. In particular, changes in all urban landscapes appeared most rapidly, focusing on Daejeongjeong and Bonjeong. Conversely, no significant change was found in the space where Koreans lived.
As for the religious landscape, as Confucianism of Joseon Dynasty was defined as a non-religion during this colonial period, various religious buildings such as Japanese shrines and Christianity were built. Representative changes in the landscape surrounding the fortress include Jeondong Cathedral, the first western-style building in Jeolla province, churches outside the west gate, and the construction of a Japanese shrine. Jeonju Shrine, built by the Japanese, was placed on the top of Mt. Daga
As for the educational landscape, it was colonial education policy to obliterate the Koreans. At this time, many modern schools were built, and as the basic contents of the Joseon Education Ordinance, Koreans were fostered as citizens loyal to Japan, the Japanese language disseminated, and vocational skill education emphasized rather than university establishment.
Since Wansanju was established (757), Jeonju had played an important role as the reginal administrative center until the Joseon Dynasty. As roads were changed in various forms and modern buildings were built around them during the colonial period, the landscape of the Joseon Dynasty was dismantled and changed to a colonial landscape. Even now, there are still traces of buildings, roads, government offices, and schools, which are physical landscapes left by the Japanese occupation. Currently, some buildings with significant and symbolic meaning from the Joseon Dynasty are being restored, and as various tourism promotion policies are developed in the city of Jeonju, the scenery of the Joseon Dynasty, of the Japanese colonial period, and of the current era coexist.
The characteristics and implications of the formation and change of Jeonju's urban landscape are as follows.
First, the revision of city districts by the Japanese was focused on road construction and infrastructure renovation. Second, there was an ideological difference between the Joseon Dynasty and the Japanese colonial era. Third, the colonial urban landscape and the landscape from the Joseon Dynasty coexist.
Lastly, the perspectives of regions are diverse that are revitalizing early modern cultural heritage as historical and cultural resources. Memories of the colonial era and its legacy still have a lot of influence on people's lives. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the formation and change of colonial modern cultural heritage and to recognize and take a new approach to colonial modernity. In addition, this study is meaningful as a basic data for understanding the urban landscape during the Japanese colonial period as an administrative center city, and is expected to help understand and compare urban cultural landscape during the Japanese colonial period.
keywords : urban landscape, the city district revision, public institution landscapes, commercial and residential landscapes, religious landscapes, and educational landscapes.