• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
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• no.11
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• pp.15-40
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• 2005

'Governance' is a subject that is widely discussed these days in the government and the academic world. I think that the new concept, 'governance', is a strategy to develop the democracy of the society in its institutional and functional aspects. When we are going to discuss about governance, public records and their relationships, without understanding the meaning of 'public' in Korea, we cannot expect to discuss the matter precisely. It is said that Korean public service sectors are awash with authoritarianism and unreasonableness, and that they are at the center of seething corruption and bribe scandals. It is the legacy that the regimes adopted in the aftermath of the Japanese colonial rule for 35 years. The colonial legacy included not simply the practice of the Japanese colony, but also people who had collaborated the Japanese. The American military government and Rhee, Sung-Man regime also appointed the same officials to government posts. As was the same case in other areas including economy, press, education, politics, law, etc. In this point of view, "Righting historical wrongs", a controversial issue now in Korea, aims at establishing the right relationships between an individual and the public, and eventually laying the foundation of democracy for future generation, a procedure of achieving good governance. Apparently, Korea has made progress in developing democracy, as well as in reforming the government policy and organization. Many independent commissions are performing the projects instead of the government institutions that mandated to do the job, but has not played their roles. The e-government projects in Korea was launched in 2001 by the former administration. However, the confusion of records-management after the promulgation of the act is the result of the lack of strategy and the inconsistency of the vision. Good record-keeping supports effective, transparent and accountable government. Accountability is a key element of good governance. It is a recognized fact that without information, there is no guidance for decision-making, and accountability. Thus without records, there is no accountability for the decisions of actions. Transparency means that the decisions taken and their enforcement are carried out based on led-out rules and regulations. When both accountability and transparency are non-existent, good governance is bound to fail. Archival institutions have to give an attention to inner-governance because of the new trend of archival practice, namely 'macro-appraisal'. This 'macro-appraisal' is a kind of a functions-based approach. However, macro-appraisal focuses not just on function, but on the three-way interaction of function, structure and citizen, which combined reflect the functioning of the state within civil society, that is to say, its governance. In conclusion, the public and democracy are major challenges in the Korean society. The so-called good governance requires good record management. In this respect, records managers are in the front line of instituting good governance, and achieving better public and democracy for future generation, a procedure of achieving good governance.

• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
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• no.3
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• pp.115-137
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• 2001

The Museum of Chosen General Government(MCGG) was a supreme organ to take charge of business affairs of historical remains Japanese imperial rule. The MCGG was established in Kyongbok Palace in 1915. The MCGG was changed the reorganization of the Chosen General Government(CGG) setups, the MCGG was to maintain the cultural assets, to excavate the ruins and to put on display the remains. However, the Japanese colonist took advantage of the MCGG for political purposes. They didn't use the MCGG to promote the research of Korea culture. Therefore, the MCGG was an organization to belong to the Department of Education of the CGG. In this reason, the MCGG produced the amount of public document to business affairs. Now, This document left in the Museum of Korea. We have seen the document to study the cultural policies and the cultural assets of the CGG. This document includes the abundant information for the historical remains and ruins at that time. Accordingly, this document will help to survey the archaeological research and historical research. In addition, this document will help to manage the cultural assets. What then is the advantage of this document? The first is to see the cultural policies of the CGG through this document. The Japanese colonist took advantage of Korea history, which was low-grade culture, to justify rule of the colony. Therefore, they needed collect Korean assets to verity their theory. The second is to see the administration system of the MCGG. Indeed, this document includes information of organization of the MCGG, the policies and the process of the MCGG. In substance, we can see the systemic proceedings of the MCGG. The third is to provide historical materials to the historian. This document has the persons to plan the colonial culture policy of the MCGG, and events to rule the Korea culture. Moreover, the document of the MCGG would help to inquire into the truthfulness of history and to get the national identity.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.336-342
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• 2021

Japanese imperialism initiated the Sino-Japanese War in 1937 and promulgated the Total National Mobilization Act in 1938, establishing a wartime total mobilization system. In the beginning of the wartime general mobilization system, Japanese colonialism focused on women's labor force and mobilized women both domestically and abroad. Women were forcibly mobilized to the Labor Patriotism Unit and Jeongshindae(Korean Women Labor Corps). Women had to take the place of home work as well as the work of men who had already been mobilized, and at the same time faced a poor situation of being forced to mobilize for war. The mobilization of Jeongshindae took place in various forms, such as recruitment, voluntary support by government offices, propaganda through schools or groups, job fraud, coercion or threats. Jeongshindae which was a representative victim of the forced mobilization of women during the Japanese colonial period, was individually litigated and remains an unresolved problem. In order to uncover the reality of the forced mobilization of women during the wartime general mobilization system, continuous research and social education through related organizations are required.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.491-508
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• 2016

This study has taken the Myeongjidong island, which has experienced spatial change due to various reasons ranging from the Japanese colonial era until today, as an instance in order to comprehend macroscopic spatial change of the Nakdonggang Delta and the adaptation process of the locals in a microscopic point of view. Spatial change of the Myeongjidong has been confirmed by collecting maps such as the atlas of late period of Chosun published in 1910, topographic map, regional geography, city records, and by applying coordinates with geographic reference function of GIS program, then checking for time sequential space change of individual regions. Space change driven by the Japanese government-general of Korea, Gimhae Irrigation Association, and by national policy or planning brought about environmental and humanistic changes unlike ever before, and land usage, housing and industry of the region and the locals experienced various adaptation processes. Such processes were compiled through collection and comparison of literature, and supplementation from interview of the locals during field study. As for the research region, it ranged from the construction of Nakdonggang bank and Myeongji seawall of 1935, agricultural rural landscape formed after the area expansion project by Gimhae Irrigation Association in 1940, to landscape that are becoming mercantile and urban due to the developmental plans of national and local governments.

• The Journal of Art Theory & Practice
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• no.4
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• pp.145-180
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• 2006

In Korea, nation and nationalism are undeniable justice, absolute virtue and moreover system of desire. From the late Chosun Dynasty when the Korean Peninsula had to survive from the critical situation of being the arena of competition, and through the colonial period under Japanese imperialism, nationalism became stronger as a logic of survival. The policy of seclusion under closed and exclusive nationalism that didn't recognize the world situation well enough, eventually gave more pain to the nation. Nationalism in colonial Korea which was as reformed nationalism and on the other hand, as intransigent, resisting nationalism. Since the purpose of this writing is not for clarifying the argument raised on Korean nationalism, there is no use mentioning how it went with the change of time. But we have to focus on the fact that the word 'nation' which appeared under the influence of popular revolution and capitalism meaning 'a group of people', was translated and understood as a racial concept for strengthening the unity of 'single-race nation with five thousand years' history. First of all, there is nationalism used to fortify the system. 'The Charter of National Education' and 'The Pledge of Allegiance' were ornaments to intensify the ruling ideology and dictatorship to militarize entire South Korea for 'settling Korean democracy' professed nationalism. Also, another ruling ideology armed with 'self-reliance' put North Korea into the state of hypnosis called nationalism. Nationalism, claiming 'nation' outwardly, but in reality, being an illuminating, instructing ideology isolating each other was indeed a body with two faces. This made 'nation' in Korea mysterious and objective through work such as. The statue commemorating patriotic forefathers' and picture of national records' in South Korea art. Nationalism used to strengthening the system encountered the magical 'single-race' and made 'ghost' being an extreme exclusion to other nations. We can find pedigreed pureness not allowing any mixed breeds from the attitude accepting western art -via Japan or directly- and making it vague by using the word Korean and Asia. There's nationalism as a resistant ideology to solidify the system on the other side. It came out as a way of survival among the Great Power and grew with the task of national liberation to became as a powerful force facing against the dictatorship dominating South Korea after the liberation. This discussion of nationalism as a resistance ideology was active in 1980s. In 1980, democracy movement against the dictatorship of 5th Republic originated from military power which came out suppressing the democratic movement in Gwangju, spread out from the intellects and the students to the labors, farmers and the civilians. It is well known that the 'Nation-People(Minjoong)'s Art Movement could come out under this social condition. Our attitude toward nationalism is still dual in this opening part of 21st century. On one hand, they are opposing to the ultra-nationalism but are not able to separate it from nationalism, and on the other, they have much confusion using it. In fact, in a single-race nation like Korea, the situation of being nationalism and jus sanguinis together can cause dual nationalism. Though nationalism is included in the globalization order, it is evidence that it's effective in Korea where there are still modern fetters like division and separation. In particular, in the world where Japan makes East Asia Coalition but exposed in front of nationalism, and China not being free from Sinocentrism, and American nationalism taking the world order, and Russia fortifying nationalism suppressing the minority race after the dissolution of socialism, Korean nationalism is at the point to find an alternative plan superior to the ruling and resisting ideology.