Earticle

paper categorizes the current condition of the cultural properties taken to Japan under the colonial dominance, and suggests the present level of understanding and its limitation. The focus of this study is on the investigation of Joseon relics by the Japanese Government-General of Joseon as a part of the colonial cultural policy. It is crucial to clearly define the details of the research on Joseon done by Japanese imperialism. That is because it can be the starting point to identify the character of colonialism to be diffused by education and overcome it. Thus, this paper divides the investigation of Joseon relics into four developmental stages, examines how the relics were excavated, what was found by the excavation, and identify how the findings were taken to Japan and what they belong to now, on a confirmable level. It is impossible to clearly define the realities and the meanings of the investigation of Joseon relics and to understand the plundered cultural properties without the cooperation between the South and the North Korea. The problem of cultural property plunderage can be a rare chance to change the relationship between the South and the North Korea qualitatively. If the cooperation changes the relationship between the South and the North Korea, it can ultimately manifest the pressure for Japan to find an occasion to liquidate the past history.

This paper is composed in consideration of the return of the cultural properties of Joseon which were plundered and taken away under the colonial dominance by Japan and are now interspersed in the country. We should deal with the problem of the culture properties of Joseon in Japan and restore the plunderage of Japan, which is in line with the destruction and exploit of the culture and spirit of the Joseon people performed both systematically and metholically by the Japanese colonial dominance, caring its illegal and unethical characteristics. In this aspect, this paper considers the return of the cultural properties in the diplomatic negotiation between Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Japan, how that should be promoted internationally, and what kind of approach is possible to resolve it. On the other hand, this paper examines the reason why the post-war return of the plunders has been fundamentally impeded, and what limitation of the post-war treat of Japan has concealed the pre-war plunderage of the cultural properties of Joseon. In doing so, the limitation of the Korea-Japan Agreement should be specifically diagnosed, as well as the direction of the future response of Korean government. Finally, this paper examines the talks which have been held between DPRK and Japan and the standpoint of the DPRK government revealed on the problem of cultural properties so as to predict the future direction of the DPRK-Japan amity.

The capital of Goryeo, Gaegyong was formed centering around Song-Ak, the birthplace of Taejo Wang-Gun (the first King of Goryeo Dynasty), with the region of Seong-Geo San, O-Kwan San, and Song-Ak San, where the predecessors of Wang-Gun had lived, as its backgrounds. The capital Gaegyong was born with a historical background of Post Three States, and continued to change according to the reunification of the Post Three States and the historical developments afterwards. The city structure of Gaegyong reflects not only the lifestyle of Goryeo people but also that of the predecessors. This paper examines the formation of Goryeo Gaegyong, and pursues where it is originated. The city structure of Gaegyong has Buddhism, Yin-Yang Pungsu, Confucianism, Taosim, and Shamanism as its ideological background, and take the topography into consideration. The downtown was formed around the cross where the east-west thoroughfare and the north-south one meet. Also, Goryeo enshrined Yuhwa in Dongsinsa in the east of Gaegyong, put the main entrance of the royal palace not in the south but in the east of the city calling it Gwanghwamun, and called it Ilyeok, which means where the sun rises. The people of Goryeo considered Goryeo as a country of arboreal nature and regarded the east as important, which was reflected in the structure of Gaegyong. The people of Goryeo made the unique figure of Gaegyong, taking in the various features of China, Goguryeo, Silla, Balhae, and Gungyae Dynasty in pragmatic ways. The royal palace of the Goryeo was located on a hill with regard to the topography while that of Joseon, Gyeongbokgung, was on a flatland in a straight north-south line. Since Goryeo maintained the palatial system of an empire unlike Joseon, which maintained that of a kingdom, the palace of Goryeo, including both the imperial palace and a royal one, is significantly different in structure from Gyeongbokgung of Joseon, which has only a royal palace. This difference is due to the difference in the world view of the people of the two countries.

So far, the research on the astrology of Goryeo Dynasty has been done mainly in two aspects. One is the analysis of texts, such as Cheonmunji (The Branch of the Astronomy) and Ohangji (The Branch of the Five Elements) of Goryeosa (The History of Goryeo), and the other is the study on the interaction of the view of nature, as an ideological basis of the Cheonmunji and Ohangji of Goryeosa, and the Confucian political principles of royalty. In this condition, this paper examines the characterstics or the meaning of the astrology of Goryeo Dynasty regarding the premodorn science not from a modern point of view but from a contemporary point of view. The development of the astrology of Goryeo Dynasty, in relation with the political ideology of Confucianism, can be considered in two aspects as follows. First, the observation was done as a basis for making a calendar. This is according to the practical need to adjust the China's developed calendar to the Goryeo society. Second, the abnormality of the heavenly bodies were continuously observed, in relation with some sorts of Confucian political ideology, such as Cheoninhapilsasang (Cheonmyoungsasang) and Jayiseol. Jayiseol, which played a major role as a political logic in the successive dynasties, entailed the absolute position of the monarch, who governed everything on behalf of the heaven (Dacheonyimul). The above facts tell us that the purpose and the function of the premodern astrology, including that of Goryeo Dynasty, was significantly different from that of today. Therefore, in order to understand it properly, we should take a contemporary approach. By doing so, we can see the various functions of astrology required to sustain the sovereignty.

Increase in exchanges, cooperation, and supports between the South and the North Korea predicts the potential increase in human resource exchanges in practical dimension. Although it is necessary for the South Korea to develop the human resource and cooperate with the North Korea in order to face this change properly, the research and preparation is insufficient due to the lack of information on the development of human resource in the North Korea. Under the current condition, the optimal option we can choose to develop human resource in the North Korea is to devise supportive plans to extend the current project, to make simulative scenarios, and to write up the blueprints according to the scenarios. In addition, we can apprehend the vocational abilities of Economic Cooperation between the South and the North Korea through the participant enterprises. We should make an active use of Economic Cooperation Committee in various fields in order to lessen the discomfort of the enterprises on opening the information. Cooperative Plans with North Korea can be summarized as direct and/or indirect help for operating the special economic zone which is regarded as the frontier of foreign opening. The plans supporting North Korea who has pursued the Juche economy for a long time to grasp the capitalism and the standardization of technology in the South and the North Korea can be considered. Although Hyundai Asan and the Korea Land Development Corporation play leading roles in Gaeseong Industrial Complex, it will end up with the entering of many enterprises under the subsidies of the authorities. This predicts the increase in the demand on the vocational abilities of Economic Cooperation between the South and the North Korea. It is more important than ever before to make a preliminary provision for this.

Generally speaking, the Confucian scholars of Joseon did not pay much attention to natural science. Their main interests lied on the ethical establishment in human society and the enhancement of morality. However, some Confucianists studied specialized fields, such as astronomy, calender, harmonics and arithmetics. In this paper, the researcher is to introduce the whole aspects of the natural philosophy of Kyoung-Deok Seo, and evaluate its historical meaning and role, by analyzing Seo's writings and poetry which have not been noticed so far. Seo considers that everything is composed of Chi (spiritual energy). According to Seo, the seemingly empty room is not empty at all, but filled with unseen Chi. In other words, the empty place is not a "nothing at all." Thus, there cannot be any place without Chi from the very first. Seo defines the empty space as a dynamic place which is full of Chi, where everything is born and gone. In addition to Chi-ilwonlon, a theory regarding Chi as the root of everything, another main branch of Seo's natural philosophy is Sangsuhak. Seo considers that universal change can be understood completely regardless of time or space through Sangsuhak. This ultimately means the attempt to account for the natural changes in numerological dimension. The natural philosophy of Seo, consisting with the above mentioned Chi-ilwonlon and Sangsuhak, is believed to play a crucial role in making Joseon Confucianists believe in the "possibility of reasonable explanation to the nature."

A Case of Korean Embassies and Legations is a text which contains crucialinformation on Modern Diplomatic History of Korea to define the closure of Embassies and Legations of Daehan Empire. This two-volume data containing 728 page texts starts with a lengthy petition suggesting the closure of Embassies and Legations in Daehan Empire, and consists of the instructions of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the reports and the petitions of Japanese local legations on the closure of the Korean legation to 9 nations, namely Qing, USA, UK, France, Germany, Japan, etc., and those related to the closure of consulates in Jibu in Qing, New York and San Fransisco in USA, London in UK, Paris in France, Hambourg in Germany, Brussels in Belgium, etc.. This data can be unilateral and fragmentary since it only includes the documents exchanged between Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant legations abroad. However, it is firstly revealed that the closure of the embassies and legations of Daehan Empire by Japanese government had begun 1 year and 2 months earlier than the conclusion of Eulsa treaty.

Korean society bears its welfare problems derived from late marriages trend, low birthrates, and an aging society as there have been social changes due to the globalization and the discussions on multicultural family are on the rise. Under these circumstances, I have approached in historical folklore method to the marriage encouragement policy of traditional society, particularly articles related to traditional wedding ceremony and family welfare from legal conducts of Gyeonggukdaejeon. As a result, the premodern culture of wedding ceremony which was different from that of the present time was not only a spontaneous practice by family/kinship as well as individuals. In case of being past maximum marriageable age of 30 set as a national norm due to the poverty, there had been government subsidies, honja(婚資), aiding the head of a family. In addition, there had been restrictions on the number of torches for lighting in the evening of the wedding ceremony and size of wedding present foods even to the family of wealthy noble men. When there were conflicts between wedding ceremony and the process of funeral ceremony, which was pivot ritual of norm of yegyohwa(禮敎化), the priority was given to the funeral ceremony to observe the social discipline. While books were published and circulated for health, sanitation, and antenatal training under government leadership in Joseon dynasty, there were national supports in the formation and development of families and marriage encouragement by legal conducts of Gyeonggukdaejeon, thus the dissolution of family were controlled. In other words, the governing ideology of yegyohwa was realized. The social welfare policy of Joseon dynasty was in succession to the laws of Goryeo dynasty and was enforced yechi(禮治) under government leadership to realize the society of yegyohwa.