『뎨국신문(帝國新聞)』의 성격과 자료적 가치

Abstract

『Jeguk-Shinmun』 is a representative media of the period of Daehan empire with 『Hwangsung-Shinmun』 and 『Daehan Maeil Shinbo』. As published for about twelve years from August 1898 to March 1910, it is a valuable data to examine the political and social situation of that time overall. 『Jeguk-Shinmun』 had characteristics of a newspaper of women as it is known. I could see characteristics of a newspaper targeting women as its reader class such as more animated correspondence column from female readers than other newspapers, description data was adopted in <novel> column from early stage to secure female readers, and its struggle to meet female readers' taste by establishing <domestic science> corner in which women are so much interested. There have been a few changes in the editing system and organization. In chronic deficit, it published ‘brick newspaper’ due to pre-censorship by the Japanese Empire and used to put <advertising> on the front page by changing the arrangement of articles. Since May 1907, it enlarged space drastically from four-page four-column to four-page six-column. Since 1903, it showed systematic changes such as frequent use of Chinese Characters making it hard to see as whole Korean language paper. 『Jeguk-Shinmun』 has enough value as a basic data showing the period of Daehan empire. The people of that time regarded the bureaucrats as ‘the enemy of the nation’ who dominated the people and did nothing but were greed and vicious. It was recognized that Ching was a babe in the woods that would soon collapse, and Japan would be a powerful country by leading reformation. Besides, it dealt with the living culture history of basic citizens of that time which can be regarded as the research report such as religious activity including shaman faith, traditional culture, and custom of early marriage. In addition, as it was published with wholly Korean language, it showed lots of words and sentences showing the changes in settlement of Hangul (Korean language) from Sino-Korean words and Chinese characters. Therefore, it also has great value of primary source for the researches of modern Korean linguistics and literature.