• Journal of International Area Studies (JIAS)
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.23-65
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• 2009

This study originates from the examination of both Soviet Russia's and contemporary Russia's tabula rasa that numerous comprehensive national exertions have been trying to overcome, relying on the creation of numerous national emblems, political symbols, and even folkloric materials. With this mind, this work substantiates how the political and cultural symbols have been created in the contemporary socio-political and socio-cultural discourse in Russia. As with the political symbols that most recently been studied by Lee Trepanier, it must be recognized that contemporary social movements and political discourses have failed to "articulate a concrete political vision that reflects a consensus among elites, nor have any gained popular support" as the author confessed already. Concomitant to this general consensus, as Roy Medvedev has put it, we can contend that "today's leaders in Russia have no new ideology, and the mass of the people have no strong new national idea."

• Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of East Asia
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.73-99
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• 2023

The dragon is a special imaginary figure created by the people of East Asia. Its archetypes appeared primarily as totemic symbols of different tribes and groups in the region. The formation of early dynasties probably generated the molding of the dragon symbol. Dragon symbols carried deep imprints of nature. They concealed alternative messages of how ancient people at different locations dealt with or interacted with nature. Under pressure to standardize in the medieval and late imperial periods, the popular dragon had to transform physically and ideologically. It became imposed, unified, and framed, conveying ideas of caste classification and power, and losing itsecological implications. The dragon transitioned from a semi-ecological domain into a total social caste system. However, many people considered the "standardized" dragon as the symbol of the oppressor. Because of continuous orthopraxy and calls for imperial reverence, especially under orthopractic agenda and the surveillance of local elites, the popularized dragon was imbued within local artworks or hidden under the sanctity of Buddhas or popular gods in order to survive. Through disguise, the popular dragon partially maintained its ecological narratives. When the imperial dynasties ended in East Asia (1910 in Korea, 1911 in China, 1945 in Vietnam), the dragon was dramatically decentralized. However, trends of re-standardization and re-centralization have emerged recently in China, as the country rises in the global arena. In this newly-emerging "re-orthopraxy", the dragon has been superimposed with a more externally political discourse ("soft power" in international relations) rather than the old-style standardization for internal centralization in the late imperial period. In the contemporary world, science and technology have advanced humanity's ability to improve the world; however, it seems that people have abused science and technology to control nature, consequently damaging the environment (pollution, global warming, etc.). The dragon symbol needs to be re-defined, "re-molded", re-evaluated and reinterpreted accordingly, especially under the newly-emerging lens-the New Confucian "anthropocosmic" view.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning & Design
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.115-126
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• 2019

Construction of the Pyongyang Railroad Station began in 1907 as an important foothold for the Japanese colonization of the Korean Peninsula and the further invasion of Manchuria. As Pyongyang gradually grew in size and political significance, the Pyongyang Station came to have two responsibilities: Fulfill its functional role and serve as a monument to the growing dignity of the city. This study argues that the Pyongyang Station, newly rebuilt in 1958, was the first building to solve the demands for both functional expansion and the pursuit of monumentality. Stylistically, the original single-story wooden building became a three-story classical masonry building. The stylistic change symbolizes the political shift by which the building was reconstructed. The simple wooden building built by the Japanese, representing Pyongyang's status as a colonial provincial town, was transformed into an imposing gateway for the capital city of a newly born socialist state. Socialist Realism, correctly described by its slogan "socialist in content and national in form," harmoniously blended classical architecture, socialist symbols, and Korean local motifs. This study is significant in that it illustrates the historical changes and continuity of the Pyongyang Station from 1907, when it was first built, through the "liberated space" to the postwar reconstruction period of the 1950s.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.302-312
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• 2019

Stamps are the smallest image symbols that can be read in the period, and they include the history, culture, politics, and figures and events of the issuing country. In particular, the stamps of the past presidents include the contemporary history of Korea, and reexamining and reviewing the meaning of the presidential stamps historically has a meaning that can not be overlooked as a researcher who studies the image of political leaders. In this study, the scope of research from the first republic to the fifth republic, where the publicity of political leaders through the advertisement of stamps and placards was high, was conducted and the leader image formation and change process centering on the former presidents Rhee Seungman, Park Jeong Hee, Chun Doo Hwan, Respectively. For the interpretation of the image of political leaders according to the changes of time, the images were classified by using Osgood's Semantic Differential Scale, and the images were analyzed using Saussure's semiotics. The image continues to move and change, and the conclusion that the image of the political leader of the time is not a simple personal image but a social product reflecting the specific age of the era.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.55 no.7 s.98
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• pp.131-141
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to correctly understand the shapes and transformation of costumes of Ching's and Mongolian. Mongolian traditional costumes are trousers and jacket, with Deel(袍) and Terlig(帖裡) pleated in the waistline, and knee-covering narrow-sleeved long dress for men and women alike. It was designed for adapting to horse riding activities and cold steppe climate. Similarity between Ching's and Mongolian nomadic costumes was used as a means of unity by Ching. Transformation of Mongolian nomadic costumes are further divided into three kinds; Ching's or Russian's details applied to Mongolian nomadic costumes(Taekeum(大襟), Majesu(馬蹄袖), white choker), Ching's court costume imported as it is for the political purpose(Kijang(기장)), resistance against foreign countries and the spirit of nomadic people and independence reflected in Mongol costumes('Teregur ushi', 'Correct bosom'). Specially, Nomadic symbols constitute Mongolian spiritual world and clothing habits, especially evident in ladies' dresses.

• International Journal of Costume and Fashion
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2015

Heavenly Kingdom was known for their strict discipline and law as well as their anti-corruption practices and for putting up unconventional ideas to rule its kingdom. They became weak as their leadership was split along with the power struggles that occurred within their kingdom. Heavenly Kingdom's style of dress also ended during this period, but their philosophy continues to influence the style of dress. Taiping rebellion was modern China's biggest internal disturbance which prior studies included political ideals, gender equality and the peasant movement. My research is to associate Heavenly Kingdom's ideas and their dress style by analyzing its relations. Their form of clothing was similar to the Qing Dynasty but the same. They wanted to restore their identity of the Han(漢) while their ideology was oriented in creating a large enough military power to go against the corrupt Qing Dynasty as seen in their military uniform. This research is to analyze about Heavenly Kingdom's ideology with regard to their style of dress but because of their short existence, there are only small remains of artifacts and clothing available which limits this research. This research has to developing further research as I gather more additional data.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.5
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• pp.141-152
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• 1981

Various ceremonial flags were of great importance to the rulers who wished to have the absolute authorities for governing the people. Perhaps nothing indicated the ideas, thoughts and symbols of a certain period and people than the ceremonial flags. The ceremonial flags used in the old China and Korea took the shapes of the heaven and the earth, representing the social backgrounds and thoughts. This study was limited only to the discussion of the heaven-shaped patterns of the ceremonial flags. The 28 constellations of the heaven, in the Oriental way of thinking, were considered to express the immortal powers of Providence and the political domination of the earth. Hence the Polaris, the center of the heaven, symbolized the whole family of king, prince, child born of a concubine and royal harem. Among the constellation pictures were those of Han period, wall painting of old tombs in Koguryeo kingdom and old Japanese kingdom. Referring to the Emperor's ceremonial flags in Daemyeongjibyei, symbolic meanings changed historically and the complete systems of the ceremonial flags were established in Song period when the divine person was drawn on the flags. Animals concerned properly with the particular star and the shapes of the star were both drawn on the flags in Won period and only the shapes of the particular star in Myeong period. In the Imperial enthronement of Kojong the ceremonial flags might be made by the examples of those of Myeong period and remains are now found at Changdeok Palace, which need a further study because the references in detail are not available.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.30 no.3 s.151
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• pp.458-469
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to prove that interchange is a primary factor in costume changes through case analysis in costume culture interchange, and further, to assist in gaining understanding of costume changes of the present and the future, and therefore, in this study, cases analysis was conducted focusing on interchange resulting from political factors. In order to present theories that are able to analyse costume culture interchange, culture, cultural exchange, and costume cultures were examined, and based on the results, a costume culture interchange process model and its three steps, propagation, selection, and reinterpretation, were presented. The results of case study on costume culture interchange resulting from political factors based on the costume culture interchange process model presented are as follows. Interchanges that politically uses the possibility of expressing costume as symbols are in most cases aggressive and semi aggressive. In order to exhibit superiority of themselves, the aggressors forced their national costumes onto the receiving culture. Rather than a simple introduction of their costumes, it was an attempt to introduce they values and their ways of life. The conclusion that can be reached through such result is that interchange is an important driving force for changes in costume culture. All interchanges were not greatly affected by methods of propagation and acceptance, and resulted in fusion. Fusion is a process in which existing costume and foreign costume come together constructively to for a new costume culture therefore change in costume style is inevitable.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.34 no.1 s.114
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• pp.92-106
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• 2006

The process of designing Cheonggyecheon Entrance Plaza began with researching four keywords: plaza, restoration. modernity and icon. The outcome of the research was reinterpreted into and informed the design. An urban plaza must not only be a stage for civic life but should also be a portrait of the city to which it belongs. Many Korean plazas, however, are treated as if they are parks. Yeouido Park, which was originally a vast urban void, and Seoul Plaza, recently paved with grass, are good example. The strong 'green myth' can hinder socio-political activities. Cheonggyecheon cannot be said to have been 'restored', since it is still disconnected from its origin and upper streams, and the water is circulated by electricity. So it is better understood as an artificial urban waterfront, rather than an ecologically restored stream. This fact might diminish its ecological value, but not its recreational one. The entrance plaza therefore should reflect that the new stream brings back an 'experience', not only water itself. At the same time, the catch phrase of this restoration project was 'post-modern'. The demolished Cheonggye Expressway represents the 'economy drive' of the 1970s, so the newly opened Cheonggyecheon serves as a perfect counterpart to it. But modernity in Korea is the spirit that made many of the good things, not only its shortcomings, we have now. And from the philosophy of this restoration project, we can see that it is still an ongoing attitude in a way. Remnant of Cheonggye Expressway can evoke our nostalgia for the era. There are plenty of symbols in Seoul, both as architecture and objects. But none of them provide citizens with experience, other than the experience of looking at them. Cheonggyecheon Entrance Plaza is a good place to serve as an icon for a dynamic Seoul. From the research, the designer concluded that this plaza should commemorate the incomparable horizontal experience of Cheonggyecheon and the old expressway, amid the vertical metropolis. The Pedestrian Sculpture, which people can stroll on and look out over Cheonggyecheon, is to be made of steel cladding with a core structure and represents the dynamism of the stream, Seoul and contemporary Korea. The choice of material and the steel structure are also ways of creating the icon. The Water Plaza, the space underneath the ramp, will accommodate people and their urban activities, providing an opportunity to play with water. The Waterblades will be a device for the dramatic beginning of the stream, simultaneously camouflaging ugly openings in the outlets. The Wall of Archaeology is to be made with pre-fab resin blocks, translucent enough so that people can see through any archaeological findings of the site. The strong water-resistant character of resin makes the wall steady throughout the flood season as well. Cheonggyecheon restoration project is an effort to combine contemporary urban demand with the once-existing physicality by evoking our nostalgia for it. The project itself shows many socio-political issues of present-day Korea. The entrance plaza design thus is focused on suggesting an icon for the metropolis, simultaneously celebrating the stream itself. Within this space, people will be exposed to a unique experience that any 'green myth' cannot offer.

• Journal of Korean Theatre Studies Association
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• no.48
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• pp.289-332
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• 2012

In this paper, based on the theory of performance studies and community-based theatre, I venture to explicate the socio-political significance of director Yim Jin-Taek's community-based performance called 'madanggut', which is heavily based on elements of indigenous culture. Yim's madanggut utilizes elements of indigenous cultures and searches for 'the Korean ethnic (arche)type' as 'the ideal Korean type' or 'genuine Korean-ness' for the reconstruction of 'the Korean ethnic community.' This paper interrogates the major task of Yim Jin-Taek's madanggut, which ideologically promulgates the idea of ethnocentric patriarchy supported by the traditional (mainly Confucianist) notion of 'community' - inquiring if this type of theatre can provide useful and practical prospects for imagining a more democratic and plural civilian society in Korea today, when the interaction of globalization, nationalism, regionalism, and localism simultaneously impact our everyday life and cultural identification. Regarding the recent global phenomenon of the resurgence of nationalism, I looked at madanggut's use of symbolic resources from the past for imaginative communal bonding as a nation. But, the claimed homogeneity of the national past by means of 'nation conflation' of different social groups is an illusionary conceptualization, and the national historiography silences memories of the marginalized groups and denies their histories. It is certain that in Korea nationalism has historically performed an important function during the colonization and democratization period. Nevertheless, as Yim's Nokdukkot realized, it cannot be overlooked that as a representative of 'the Korean ethnic community,' 'the protecting man/the sacrificial woman' is contradictory to the plural and lateral thinking of participatory democracy in community-building. It is time to think about a new political language that relates individuals to the community and nation. 'The ethnic type' cannot represent the whole nation and the members of the nation should be the examples of the community they belong to for a more democratic society. I have selected Yim's several community-based works mainly from the 1970s to the 1980s since the works provide grounding images, symbols, metaphors, and allegories pertinent to discussing how 'the Korean ethnic community' has been narrativized through the performances of madanggut during the turbulent epoch of globalization. I hope that this paper presents Yim's grounded aesthetics of community-based theatre with fully contoured critical views and ideas.