Beginning of Modern Korean Museum

Art Museums
Their History, Present Situation and Vision:

the case of the Republic of Korea : through historical survey, the case studies of private art museums and the "Mo-am Collection"

  

을사조약문 (네이버) (좌) & 고종 무효선언서 (경향신문) 

  

을사조약 체결 축하 기념촬영 (서문당)

 

Beginning of Modern Korean Museum

The Late nineteenth-century and the first half of the twentieth century, Korean history is the most complicated era２３. Modern Korean history saw a series of hardships that were due to internal political action, reformation and reaction. During the late 19th century, insistent demands for commercial relations with the Cho-sun Dynasty for making Korea their colonial market were made by the British, the Russians and other Europeans. Also, turmoil was created by the aggression of competing imperialist neighbors from the China, Russia, and Japan and aloof powerful countries such as Great Britain, France, and Germany. Korea was threatened by many major external powers at this time.

 

Japan very quickly became modernized by following European models of social, political and economic systems. This included the establishment of a constitution, the formation of governmental and ministerial organizations, the founding of an army, and many other infrastructures through out the Meiji Restoration (1853 to 1877).２４ As the army became modernized and powerful, the imperialist ambitions of Japan grew. Part of the Imperial Japanese project was the domination of the Korean peninsula. The beginning of Japan's war of aggression on the Asian continent and its spread into the Pacific brought further tightening of Japan's reins over Korea. The Japanese colonial policy was aimed at transforming Korea into a logistical base for continental aggression, the closing phase of Japanese colonial rule in Korea.

Japan’s need to dominate the Korean peninsular resulted in the creation of external conflicts with the neighboring competing nations. With the Ch’ing Dynasty, of China in 1894 and with Russia in 1904. In order to conduct its foreign wars, Japan sent its military troops to Seoul as an occupation force. In 1904, to prepare for the war with Russia, in spite of Korea’s proclaiming its neutrality, Japan sent armies to Seoul again and compelled Korea (the Cho-sun Dynasty) to sign a protocol agreement that contained the ritualistic provision that deprived Korea of diplomatic rights.２５ Japan won both wars and started to broaden its influence in Korea (the Cho-sun Dynasty). During the process, Korea came under Japanese rule in 1910. Korea had a bitterly painful and distressing time during the Japanese Invasion Period (1910 – 1945) and experienced much suffering from the Korean War of 1950 to 1953. The aftermath of these two grave and painful experiences made lasting and deep impressions on Korean society.

One of the Japanese colonialists’ main efforts was the “modernization” of Korea during the Japanese Invasion Period. It brought somewhat technological and social developments to the political, educational and cultural systems. However, this was not for Korea and the Korean people, but just for creating amiable and effective ruling conditions and systems. Monopolistic capital from Japan flowed into Korea to create the arsenal for an invasion of the continent. Cheap labor was available as the result of Korean impoverishment caused by Japanese exploitation. Rapid advances had been made in some manufacturing, but it was a "dependent" industrialization, geared to colonialism. A museum project was also created as a part of the Japanese modernization project at the time.

ⓒ 모암문고 www.moamcollection.org