S2023-207b

Modern History as Seen Through Gwangju's Landmarks 》The Modernization of Administration and 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 Gwangju National University of Education (1939), as well as government administration, namely the former Jeollanam-do Provincial Government Office, including its main building (1930) and conference hall (1932). These buildings serve as a testament to the push for modernization of education and administration 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.
• Jeollanam-do Provincial Government
  • Former Main Building of Jeollanam-do Provincial Government, Gwangju
  • This building, built in 1930, was designed by Kim Sun-ha (1901-1966), an architect who was active in Gwangju at the time. It was unusual for a Korean architect to design a government building during the colonial period.
  • Former Conference Hall of Jeollanam-do Provincial Government
    • This building, built in 1932, was also designed by Kim Sun-ha (1901-1966). The red brick building has two above-ground stories and a basement. The outer walls are painted white. The second story features pairs of short windows above long windows, which makes the building appear as if it has a third story. The front of the second story is decorated with a central glass facade and the corners of the building are rounded, which were innovative aesthetics and construction techniques for the time.
    • After Korea re-gained independence in 1945, the building was used as an assembly hall of the Jeollanam-do Provincial Assembly and as a civil affairs office. During the May 18 Democratic Uprising in 1980, it was used as an armory by the citizen army, with the second floor being used as a canteen and rest area.
  • Today, both buildings are used as the May 18 Memorial Hall.

Semantic Data

Node Description

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S2023-207b	Story	Episode		The Modernization of Administration and Education in the Late Japanese Colonial Period			The Modernization of Administration and Education in the Late Japanese Colonial Period	http://dh.aks.ac.kr/~gwangju/wiki/index.php/S2023-207b	http://dh.aks.ac.kr/~gwangju/icon/episode.png