日帝下 仁川의 ‘행락지’로서 위상의 형성과 변화 - 월미도와 송도 유원지를 중심으로 -

Abstract

After the Annexation in 1910, Incheon lost the former status of the “meeting place of the world and Joseon”, as a major portal of the nation, through which western culture flew into the traditional society. Instead, the port city, adjacent to the metropolis Kyeongseong, emerged as a recreation spot on the beach for the colonial capital city dwellers to casually visit and enjoy leisure. The potential realized by the consecutive development projects of the Wolmido Resort, started in 1910's and the Songdo Resort in late 1930's. Though both Wolmido and Songdo were naturally beautiful places, they became tourist attractions only through the development efforts by the colonial administration. The amenities and artificial attractions at these two resorts functioned as a major channel, through which Korean people internalized the colonial modernity. Meanwhile, there existed “another point of view” on Incheon's status of a modern resort city. Those who attempted an alternative view, tried to put a meaning related to traditional Joseon to the modern resorts of Incheon, but failed to form a social consensus on their cause. In late 1930's, Incheon's status of a resort city regained attention in terms of the idea of metro-politan city planning, which encompassed Kyeongseong and Incheon in one vast zone. The project of building a highway between Kyeongseong and Incheon was brought out, but with the aggravated progress of the war, the project was abandoned. Instead, as the society was reorganized on a war footing, Incheon imposed a new role of the "training camp" for citizens, though "training(鍊成)", encouraged by the wartime leaders, meant recreation in practice. Therefore Incheon's role of a recreation spot kept alive.