• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.42
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• pp.23-46
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• 2016

This article focused on heterotopian spaces of modern Korea in the colonial era. This paper attempted to understand the features of heterotopia in the era. Heterotopia was slightly grotesque in modernity, but in the colonial era, people expected to realize the hope of contemporary society. Also, while analyzing discourses on heterotopia, this study identified another point of view on modernity in the era,. Pagoda Park, where March First Independence Movement was conducted and the psychiatric hospital East Ward Eighth, were heterotopian spaces at the times. Those spaces are represented as failure of modernity. Nevertheless, those spaces functioned as utopia, where people could speak freely on 'the independence'. But the governing system considered such speech as deceptive strange stories. Strange stories that inexplicably, revealed imperfection of the governing system and caused anxiety about the foundation of daily life. In conclusion, this article could provide understanding of another side of acceptance of modernity in the colonial era i.e., anxiety. It was revealed through the finding of heterotopia and analyzing discourses on heterotopia in the colonial Korea.