순종 사망 뒤 애도의 검열과 통제

Abstract

The death of King Sunjong, the last monarch of the Joseon Dynasty, was not just the death of an individual. It created a space and time for ‘public mourning’ that was rare in the colonial context. However, the Japanese Colonial Authorities controlled not only the forms of mourning but also the spaces for mourning. This study examines the landscape of mourning following Sunjong’s death, which, although not prohibited but permitted, was censored and controlled. The act of mourning holds political power. The Japanese colonial authorities had already experienced this societal power with the death of King Gojong in 1919. In response to the potential political unrest following Sunjong’s death, the authorities drew upon the experience of the 3·1 Movement to prepare. They collected rumors and implemented censorship, restricted gatherings, and arbitrarily imposed residential limits on Koreans. One of the key locations for public mourning, the area in front of Donhwamun, was heavily guarded. After the 3·1 Movement, the colonial authorities established a system that controlled students through schools, rather than monitoring individuals. This system functioned quite effectively after Sunjong’s death. However, students, through secret solidarity, were still working towards a new form of national movement.