E2024-G122
As Seen Through Landmarks: The Modernization of Education in the Late Japanese Colonial Period
Story
Looking at Gwangju’s landmark buildings, the 1930s and 1940s, which correspond to the latter half of the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945), are marked by buildings associated with elementary education, such as Seoseok Elementary School (1930, 1935, 1943), Soochang Elementary School (1931), and the Main Building of 광주교육대학교Gwangju National University of Education (1939). These buildings serve as a testament to the push for modernization of education during the late colonial period.
- Main Building, Gymnasium, and Annex of Seoseok Elementary School, Gwangju
- Seoseok Elementary School, founded in 1896, is Gwangju’s first modern educational institution. Among the structures in the school’s premises, the main building, annex, and gymnasium are collectively listed as National Registered Cultural Heritage No. 17. At the time of its foundation, the school’s main building was originally a two-story wooden building. In 1930, a brick building was constructed as its gymnasium. No internal pillars were used so that the inside was spacious. The current main building was built in 1935 using the best quality wood and bricks for the period. Each classroom in this building is 83 ㎡ in area. The annex was built in 1943, and each classroom in the annex has a chimney.
- Main Building of Soochang Elementary School, Gwangju
- Soochang Elementary School was founded in 1921. The school’s main building, a two-story red brick building, was built in 1931. Notably, the bricks on the facade are laid in a different way on the first and second stories to add interest to the design. Skylights were added to the roof to let in light and provide ventilation.
- Main Building of Gwangju National University of Education
- This building was originally built to serve as the lecture hall for Gwangju Teacher’s College, which later became Gwangju National University of Education. It is a two-story brick building with a central, outwardly projecting entrance with overall symmetrical layout.
Network Graph
Story Map
- Architectural Evolution: From Traditional to Modern Gwangju
- As Seen Through Landmarks: The Modernization of Education in the Late Japanese Colonial Period
- As Seen Through Landmarks: The Modernization of Administration in the Late Japanese Colonial Period
- As Seen Through Landmarks: The Growth of Catholicism in the Mid-Twentieth Century
- As Seen Through Landmarks: The Boom for Higher Education in the 1950s
- Chosun University: Symbol of Gwangju’s Mid-Century Art and Architecture
- Traditional Homes with Foreign Influences: Yi Jang-u’s House
- Traditional Homes with Foreign Influences: Kim Yong-hak’s House
