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International Symposium on the Emergence and Development of City Walls on the Korean Peninsula
Writer
International Cooperation Division
Date
2020-08-18
Read
5770


An international symposium will take place to shed light on the emergence and development of city walls on the Korean peninsula

- The symposium focuses on key remainsfrom Korea’s Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C.-A.D. 660) and is set to be held for two days starting Aug. 20 at Yousung Hotel in the city of Daegu 

 

The Cultural Heritage Administration will hold an international symposium on the emergenceand development of city walls on the Korean peninsula from Aug. 20 to 21 atYousung Hotel in the city of Daegu.

Fortification of the capital city usually consisted of aninner wall and an outer wall.


This marks the first time that an academic conference dedicated solely to city wallsin Korea, China and Japan is being held.

 

The symposium will delve into city walls that existed from ancient times to Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), including the walls of Baekje’s capital city of Sabi. It aims to compare and study them and ultimately reassess their value and come upwith proper policies to preserve and manage the key remains of Baekje’s royal city.

On Day One, Aug. 20, Park Soon barl of Chungnam National University will give a keynote speech on how city walls on the Korean peninsula first emerged andevolved over the years. Five presentations will follow on this topic after thekeynote speech.

They are as following: Kim Hwan Hee, a researcher of Buyeo National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage will first give a presentation specifically on the city walls of ancient period; ▲ Park Sung-jin, a researcher of Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage will then focus on the medieval times - from the Unified Silla period to Goryeo Dynasty; ▲ Nam hohyun, a researcher of Ganghwa National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage will share his study ofstructural characteristics and the transformation of the walls of Hanyang, the capital city of Joseon; ▲ after which Zhang Liangren, a professor at NanjingUniversity will enrich the program with his take on the fortification of Chinese cities ▲ and finally, Yamamoto Takafumi, a professor at Nihon University will share his study of the walls of Japanese cities. This will give insights on how city walls developed through different time periods and indifferent regions and countries.

 

Kim Hwan Hee will explain in his presentation that the construction of the city walls in the sixth century was inevitable as the ancient city capital was undergoing the massive change of urbanization and there was a need to accommodate the people. He saysit was influenced by China’s Northern Dynasties yet modified to better suit Korea’s geographic features and local circumstances.

 

Park Sung-jin will share his research into how the royal city of Silla transformed duringthe Unified Silla period (668-935); the capital city of Cheorwon during Taebong(901-918) in the Later Three Kingdoms period (901-936); and how Gaegyeong(today’s Kaesong in North Korea), the capital of Goryeo (918-1392), was createdand changed. Nam hohyun will go into detail about how Hanyang was initially builton the foundation of Confucius ideology but its identity was eventually formedthrough the layers of changes that different generations have brought about. Hesays it also embodies the trials and errors people experienced as theyattempted to tackle life’s challenges as well as reflecting the history ofcompromise.

 

Zhang Liangren has divided ancient Chinese city capitals into three stages and will introduce walls of each stage, while Yamamoto Takafumi will argue that the city walls in Japan likely emerged through Japan’s contact with the outer world andwas influenced by international situation like the fall of Baekje, unification of the Three Kingdoms on the Korean peninsula and Tang Dynasty’s attempt tomake inroads into the Korean peninsula.

 

After the presentations, Park Soon barl will moderate a general debate which will evaluate the first day of the symposium and hopefully present tasks that lie ahead.

 

On Day Two, Aug. 21, there will be case presentations as following: ▲ Mukai Kazuo will present the study of mountain fortresses in Japan constructed by the Baekje peopleafter the kingdom fell; ▲ Seong Hyeon Hwa of Baekje Culture Foundation willshare the results of an archaeological exploration that recently took place inNaseong, Buyeo; ▲ Lee DongJu of Baekje World Heritage Center will talk abouthow Baekje Historic Areas was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the significance of this decision; ▲ Choi Hee Kyun of Baekje Culture Foundation will then discuss the maintenance and utilization of the Naseong, Buyeo.

 

To help prevent the spread of Covid-19, only those who registered in advance can attendthe symposium. For those of you who cannot physically be there, the Cultural Heritage Administration will broadcast the event live via its YouTube channel(http://www.youtube.com/chluvu). For more information please contact BaekjeRoyal Sites Conservation and Management Division at 041-852-9733.

 

Baekje Royal Sites Conservation and Management Division, part of Cultural HeritageAdministration, and Buyeo National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage willcontinue to share with public and the academia their research into the keyremains of Baekje Kingdom and its outcome and furthermore, work to restore thevalue and glory of Baekje’s cultural heritage.


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