This study examines the conservation and cultural reuse of port heritage at the Bongnae-dong wharf in Yeongdo, Busan, where existing port functions coexist with emerging cultural and commercial uses. Built as an auxiliary facility of Busan Port during the Japanese colonial period, the wharf and its bonded warehouses declined as port functions moved elsewhere. Since 2019, however, private operators have converted several warehouses into cultural and commercial spaces, while tugboats, barges, and ship repair businesses remain active. Through field observation, literature review, and comparative case analysis, the study examines three domestic cases, three cases in northern Kyushu and the Kanmon Strait region of Japan, and four international waterfront cases. For qualitative comparison, the study uses the four upper-level criteria proposed by Akter et al. (2025), including Historical Significance, Architectural Uniqueness, Economic Impact, and Cultural Engagement. The findings conceptualize the transformation of Bongnae-dong as a "gradual cultural transformation of active ports". This concept is characterized by three conditions: the continuation of existing port functions, incremental spatial transformation rather than comprehensive redevelopment, and the spatial coexistence of maritime industrial activities with new cultural and commercial uses. It is proposed as an analytical subcategory that specifies Tommarchi's (2025) holistic approach in the context of small-scale active ports. Based on the comparative analysis, the study proposes five policy directions: establishing a port heritage inventory, developing conservation and reuse guidelines, creating a stakeholder consultation framework, diversifying maritime cultural programs, and incrementally improving waterfront public spaces. The study suggests that the future of Bongnae-dong should focus on sustaining and coordinating existing port activities, maritime industrial heritage, local everyday life, and emerging cultural uses rather than replacing existing port functions.
동북아시아문화학회 [The Association of North-east Asian Cultures]
설립연도
2000
분야
복합학>학제간연구
소개
동북아시아 문화의 다양성과 정체성을 연구 토론하고, 지역내 문화 교류의 다양한 모습을 연구하고 문화변동의 큰 틀을 집적함으로써 우리 민족 문화 및 상대 민족의 문화적 터전을 이해하여 문화공동체적 특성을 계발하고 상호 관련성의 강화를 유도하는 학술활동을 통해 동북아시아의 문화발전에 이바지함.