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Mapping the Memories of the Japanese Colonial Occupation of Korea (JCO)

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Abstract

Lee explores how the symbolic and physical landscape of Seoul, as a visual representation of national identity, has changed according to shifts in political power, starting from the pre-Japanese colonial period (Joseon Dynasty), moving to the Japanese colonial occupation of Korea, and finally to the present day. She provides a chronological examination of how Seoul’s landscape transformed over time, paying particular attention to the construction of both Korean traditional buildings and Japanese colonial occupation architecture before liberation, as well as to the ways in which they were treated following liberation. She discusses visual changes in Seoul’s landscape according to each transition of political power, examining the extent to which the political intentions of each period have been reflected in the city’s spatial politics and urban planning. This chapter thus provides the background to the three detailed case studies to be discussed later in the book.

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Lee, H.K. (2019). Mapping the Memories of the Japanese Colonial Occupation of Korea (JCO). In: 'Difficult Heritage' in Nation Building. Palgrave Studies in Cultural Heritage and Conflict. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66338-8_2

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