1960~70년대 제주도 관광개발 연계 제주민속자연사박물관의 건립과 위상

Abstract

Until now, the identity of the Jeju Folklore and Natural History Museum has been focused on its status as ‘Jeju Island’s first public museum’ or ‘the only museum in the country that comprehensively exhibits folk materials and natural history (of animals and plants, geology, oceans, etc.).’ In addition, previous academic research on the museum has been limited to suggesting measures to improve exhibition content and educational programs of the museum, leaving the discussion of the museum’s original status and symbolism. However, close examination of the history of the museum reveals it has a different foundation background than public museums in other regions. Namely, the establishment of Jeju Folklore and Natural History Museum emerged as a part of the policy initiatives and plan for Jeju tourism development under the slogan of ‘national modernization’ and ‘state-led self-reliant economy’ of the Park Chung-hee government in the 1960s and 1970s. Accordingly, this study aims to trace the origins and establishment of the Jeju Folklore and Natural History Museum within the Jeju tourism development policy of the 1960s and 1970s and review the museum’s status within it by closely examining a series of records related to the establishment of the Jeju Folklore and Natural History Museum, celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2024. The results are summarized as follows. First, the establishment of the Jeju Folklore and Natural History Museum emerged as part of the policy initiatives and plans for Jeju tourism development under the slogan of ‘national modernization’ and ‘state-led self-reliant economy’ of the Park Chung-hee government in the 1960s and 1970s, of which the starting point and inflection point was Chairman Park Chung-hee’s first visit to Jeju Island on September 8, 1961. During his inspection of Jeju Island, Chairman Park noted that Jeju has abundant tourism resources, including its undeveloped beautiful natural scenery, unique traditional culture, and unique historical sites. Accordingly, he highlighted the promise of the ‘Jeju tourism project’ and instructed to prepare a realistic plan for ‘tourism development’ as a comparative advantage project and a powerful means for regional economic development and to improve Jeju’s underdeveloped standard of living. It served as a beginning for Jeju tourism development and laid the foundation for the establishment of the Jeju Folklore and Natural History Museum. Second, in 1964, as the first initiative for Jeju Island’s regional development and the 〈Comprehensive Development Plan〉, which centered on tourism development, a “folk museum” in the Jeju City area was constructed, which provided a glimpse into the early conception of the current Jeju Folklore and Natural History Museum. Afterwards, the construction of ‘museums’ and ‘folklore centers’ has been continuously raised in annual tourism development plans led by the state, such as 〈Jeju Island Specific Area Designation (Plan)〉 in 1966, 〈10-Year Jeju Island Comprehensive Development Plan〉 and 〈Land Use Plan for Comprehensive Development of the Jeju Area〉 in 1970. In addition, a blueprint for the foundation of the current ‘Jeju Folklore and Natural History Museum’ was presented in earnest from the 〈Comprehensive Jeju Tourism Development Plan〉, established by the Blue House (Cheongwadae) Tourism Development Planning Group in 1973. It included plans to build a ‘folk museum,’ ‘botanical garden,’ and ‘folk house (土俗家)’ in ‘Samseonghyeol District (Sinsan Park area),’ which was declared as a Jeju City urban planning park district in 1952. The project was given momentum when it was confirmed and announced in February 1975 through Ministry of Construction Announcement No. 32, and the following year, in 1976, the 〈Jeju Folklore and Natural History Museum and Park Plan〉 was established, and the construction was initiated in December 1978 after the implementation design in 1977. Third, the construction of Jeju Folklore and Natural History Museum was supported by the national budget of the Cultural Heritage Management Bureau (currently the Cultural Heritage Administration), as one of the state-led projects to revitalize Jeju Island’s unique tourism development following the advent of mass tourism in Korea in the 1960s and 70s. In other words, the establishment was different from public museums in other regions that were established mainly by local governments based on the needs of each region (base and metropolitan) or the demands of local residents. In addition, while the main exhibition contents of other local public museums is centered on local history and folk relics in the name of establishing the region’s unique identity, the Jeju Folklore and Natural History Museum is differentiated in that it is a ‘special complex museum’ that exhibits unique folk cultural heritage and natural history created by Jeju’s geographical specialty and natural environment in the same space. As such, Jeju Folklore and Natural History Museum, which was born in the 1960s as the first starting point for Jeju’s cultural tourism development, has the status of Jeju’s representative provincial museum, retaining its history for 40 years or even longer.