한국독립운동사의 ‘새로운 인식’을 반영한 전시 내러티브 변화 －독립기념관 상설·기획전시 사례를 중심으로－

Abstract

This study attempted to clarify the relationship between historical research and historical exhibition as a factor influencing wartime narratives and messages through the case of the Independence Hall of Korea, which performs both research and exhibition functions. As a research method, we first looked at the new research trends in the history of the Korean independence movement to convey the universal values contained in the Korean independence movement and to identify the meaning and status of world history, followed by the cases reflected in the permanent and planned exhibitions of the Independence Hall of Korea. The ‘new perception’ of the history of the Korean independence movement, which has emerged since the mid-1990s, has expanded and advanced into various research topics. This was a process of examining the Korean independence movement in the context of world history beyond the scope of Korean history and ‘rediscovering’ the essence and universal values of the Korean independence movement that had not been discovered because it was immersed in ‘national independence’. The accumulation of research results reflecting the “new perception” of the history of the Korean independence movement led to the demand for popularization of academic achievements through exhibitions, which was reflected in the 3rd exhibition replacement master plan of the Independence Hall of Korea. Based on this, the four exhibition halls, which have been replaced since the fourth hall in 2017, have embodied the main theme, “peace and empathy,” according to the functions and themes of each hall. While the fourth hall, which is an emotional hall, focused on conveying the universal value of the independence movement, the second, third, and sixth halls, which are the main halls, expanded the contents related to the history of the Korean independence movement in the context of world history among the exhibition narratives. Meanwhile, the exhibition of the “Independence Movement with the Allies” series, which was held three times from 2021 to 2023 as a special exhibition for the Liberation Day for the Allied Powers, was an attempt to materialize a new perspective that “Korea’s independence movement was with the Allied Powers” through a special exhibition and to inform the general public for the first time. The three special exhibitions conveyed a common message, but in the detailed composition of the exhibition, the historical characteristics of the joint anti-Japanese wars with China, the United States, and the United Kingdom were found and differentiated. Regarding the exhibition of the Independence Hall of Korea, which was intended to supplement the perspective of world history and convey the universal value of the independence movement by reflecting the new perception of the study of the history of the Korean independence movement, visitors responded, “It was good to know the new content, but it was somewhat difficult.” Regarding the contents of the exhibition changed through the third exhibition replacement, there were also questions about the attributes of the Allied Powers’ “imperialism”. As such, “gap and tension” occurred in the process of realizing the history of the Korean independence movement from a global and universal perspective as an actual exhibition, but this can be supplemented by deepening research achievements such as finding specific cases and referring to exhibition cases of modern and contemporary memorials and museums around the world. As a result, we hope that the Independence Hall of Korea, which is set to mark the 80th anniversary of liberation and the 40th anniversary of its opening, will leap forward as a memorial hall that not only Koreans but also foreigners can sympathize with.