Establishment of Parks in the Late 19th Century and its Characters in Korea

Abstract

Japanese Concession was established at Pusan on January 30th, 1877. Since then, parks had been established by settlers, Korean Government and Independence Club.
Japanese settlers made first shrines, and then, they decorated zinza shrines and its compounds, planted around it. And it functioned as a park for them. This kind of park made by Japanese settlers can be said “Shrine park”.
Roughly speaking, after 1890, Japanese settlers began to establish shrines. And making parks became vigorous one in 1908. For example, great construction work was launched in Dalsung Park and Namsan Park etc. This fact reflects the evident expansion of Japanese interests in Korea.
The concept “Establishig parks is extremely important thing to improve city sanitation, to make the city beautiful and comfortable one to live in” was codificated by Independence Club, and Independence Park was completed and opened by this Club in 1897. This park can be appreciated as the first modern park made by Korean, functioned as a plaza to accomodated audience, for people to take a rest and to take exercise. Though construction work of Pagoda Park was launched by Korean Government in 1899 and opened to the public, everyday entrance into the park permitted from July 28th, 1913.
But, establishing of parks ended in failure because of severe social situation and absence of administration and law. Due to the Japan's colonial policy to Korea, some parks established inside of shrine compounds became reluctant one for Korean people. Establishing of new and modern urban park begins after 1915, and this will be introduced in the other paper.