Paper short abstract:

This paper examines the role that restoration of cultural heritage plays in the construction of South Korea's modern national identity. This restoration seeks to bring the past into the present, fostering the creation of a new heritage, or a new perception of heritage as part of a modern utopia.

Paper long abstract:

Since its inception in 1948, South Korea has sought to construct a modern national identity. Cultural heritage has played a large part in this, and Seoul, home to tangible cultural heritage dating back to the 14th century, is a showcase for these efforts.

However, Japanese attempts to impose their own vision of Korean heritage on Korea—not to mention a bitter civil war—left little of this heritage unscathed. The walls around Seungnyemun Gate were demolished by the Japanese in the name of urban development, and the gate itself was heavily damaged during the Korean War; most recently, the wooden superstructure was destroyed by arson in 2008. Many of the buildings in the royal palace of Gyeongbokgung were dismantled by the Japanese, and the restoration project continues to this day. These efforts are informed in large part by the desire to erase traces of the heritage imposed upon Korea by the Japanese colonizers, thus returning the heritage to its true, original state.

Other areas of conflict include the necessary compromise between heritage and the reality of the modern metropolis. The changing needs of South Korea as a people and a nation have meant that restoration is less about returning to the past and more about bringing the past into the present, creating a new—or at least new perception of—heritage as part of a modern utopia. These issues will be addressed through an examination of how South Korea approaches the restoration of tangible cultural heritage in Seoul.