History, Heritage, and Legend in Colonial-Era Tourism: Kyŏngju and P’yŏngyang as Sites of Ideological Contestation

Wearden, Christopher James

Abstract

This article explores how historical sites in colonial Korea became arenas of ideological contestation between dominant and counter-hegemonic forces. This contestation is exposed through the production and consumption of heritage tourism, using the former dynastic capitals of Kyŏngju and P’yŏngyang as case studies. Employing a comparative model, the article explores the politics of heritage, arguing that tourism was a fundamental tool in strengthening thenational identities of both Japan and Korea. The article demonstrates the interdisciplinary potential of colonial-era heritage tourism as a field of research, offering theoretical and methodological considerations which invite study across different disciplines and geographic remits.

Citation

Wearden, C. J. (2024). History, Heritage, and Legend in Colonial-Era Tourism: Kyŏngju and P’yŏngyang as Sites of Ideological Contestation. European journal of Korean studies, 24(1), 7-48. https://doi.org/10.33526/ejks.20242401.7

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Oct 1, 2024
• Deposit Date: Mar 15, 2025
• Journal: European Journal of Korean Studies
• Print ISSN: 2631-4134
• Electronic ISSN: 2516-5399
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 24
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 7-48
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.33526/ejks.20242401.7