| Title |
The Pursuit of Decolonization and the Continuity of Colonial Legacy during the U.S. Military Army Government in Korea |
| Authors |
신운경(Shin, Woon-Kyung) ; 강난형(Kang, Nan-Hyoung) |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5659/JAIK.2026.42.6.169 |
| Keywords |
U.S. Army Military Government Period(USAMGIK); Capital City Seoul; National Housing; De-colonization; Colonial Continuity; Korean National Housing Administration (KNHA); Korean Housing Administration |
| Abstract |
This study aims to analyze the overlapping dynamics between de-colonization initiatives and the continuity of colonial heritage through the
reorganization of Seoul and the production system of "National Housing" (Gukmin Jutaek) during the USAMGIK period (1945?1948). After
liberation, Seoul pursued symbolic de-colonization by reclaiming its status as the capital, renaming the city, and reorganizing street names.
However, its urban spatial structure and administrative organizations remained contradictory, inheriting systems established during the colonial
era. In this context, "National Housing" was designed as an ideological model representing the "new life" of a sovereign nation, departing
from colonial housing concept for imperial subjects. Through an analysis of the design competitions held by the Chosun Geonchuk
Gisulhyobheoi(朝鮮建築技術協會) and the construction projects of the Korean National Housing Administration (KNHA), this study finds that
while National Housing exhibited de-colonial characteristics by excluding Japanese styles and pursuing functionalist modernization in floor
plans, its production system demonstrated structural continuity. This was manifested through the hybrid combination of the colonial-era Korean
Housing Administration(朝鮮住宅營團) system and the newly introduced U.S. aid system. This research concludes that the USAMGIK period
was not a mere vacuum phase in Korean modern architectural history, but a pivotal structural transition where de-colonization and continuity
intersected to lay the foundation for Korea's housing modernization. |