일제강점기 『경주의 전설(慶州の傳說)』과 석굴암 본존불

Abstract

This paper examines the work of Ōsaka Kintarō (大坂金太郞, 1877~?), focusing on his publication “Legends of Keishū” (慶州の傳說) from 1927, and explores how the statue of the Main Buddha in Seokguram (石窟庵) and the folk beliefs of Joseon were interpreted from a modern perspective during the Japanese colonial era. Of particular interest is the image of the Seokguram Main Buddha as a “statue granting sons,” which became iconic. The paper verifies the legend of the Seokguram Main Buddha as described in “Legend of Gyeongju” and examines its influence on the image of the Seokguram Main Buddha during the Japanese colonial era. This investigation is crucial for elucidating contemporary perceptions of Seokguram during the modern period. Ōsaka Kintarō referenced the birth legend of King Hyegong (惠恭王) from the “Samguk Yusa” (三國遺事) in relation to the legend of the Seokguram Main Buddha, associating it with contemporary Korean preferences for extreme and incomprehensible levels of devotion. He described how the Seokguram Main Buddha was revered by Joseon people as a deity granting sons. Such descriptions significantly influenced the formation of the Seokguram image among Japanese intellectuals during the colonial era. Thus, the perception of Seokguram as an idol of inferior Koreans coexisted with a perspective that praised it as a masterpiece of the East. This contradiction is linked to the complex political and social background of modern Japan, where attitudes of East Asian unity contrasted with views of Joseon as uncivilized. The paper aims to reassess the attitude towards Seokguram during the colonial period, examining its art-historical status alongside its portrayal as an idol of the uncivilized “other.”