• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.91-101
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• 2009

In this study, the landscape of Insa-dong was interpreted from the viewpoint of a social construction of landscape, which regards the dynamic process of landscape change as more important than landscape visibility. This viewpoint also regards landscape as the result of its interaction with certain actors. From a review of previous studies on the same subject, it was found that the physical environment, institutions, and images are essential factors influencing landscape change. Insa-dong, which was Kwanindaing and Daesadong during the Joseon Dynasty, acquired symbolic meaning as a traditional area during the Japanese colonial period because of its many antique shops and Korean-style buildings. In 1970, the establishment of modern galleries in the district added to its image as a haven of the traditional Korean culture. Insa-dong thus eventually came to be referred to as "the street of traditional culture" by the people of Korea. Thanks to global festivals like the Asian Games, the Olympics, and the World Cup, Insa-dong's reputation as a cultural tourist destination has become stronger as these festivals created a need for a place in Korea where the country's traditional culture can be showcased to foreign tourists. After the mid-1990s, the merchants of Insa-dong began to cash in on the district's image as a showcase of traditional Korean culture due to the economic depression that emerged then. The people of Insa-dong and those outside it, however, came to feel that this trend damaged the district's image. Therefore, the people of Insa-dong and the district's local government started a movement to restore the aesthetic value and symbolic meaning of the district's landscape. This effort induced institutional change. Insa-dong used to be a natural haven of traditional Korean culture. Its landscape has recently been reconstructed so that this image could be restored. This process was made possible by the active interaction of diverse people: merchants, users, administrators, and NGOs.