Transformation of Modern Korean Sport

Imperialism, Nationalism, Globalization

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Transformation of Modern Korean Sport

Sport in Korea is closely linked with national identity. The International Global sporting community recognizes the Korean success over the last two decades in hosting the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. Its evolution in Korean modern society has been a significant story in its cultural transition. Studies of Korean modern sport, nevertheless, still remain neglected to the extent of its relevance to the ideological perspectives. Scholars have searched for reasons for the Korean success by analyzing its history, society and culture. This study is intended to search for the significant role of sport in Korea…. A major concern of this study is to argue that the development of Korean sport has been used as a mechanism of promoting and supporting, cultural exchange between the West and the East, political and ideological advancement, the re-visioning of traditional values, and economical and social transformations…. This study also argues that the evolution of Korean sport has been the product of cultural diffusion, national assimilation and imperial resistance. In particular the Western introduction of modern sport is explored with regards to missionary work. A thorough investigation is extensively paid attention to the Japanese adoption of sport as a means of promoting policies for colonization, imperial expansion and social control. The role of sport as an internal reaction to these external threats is a significant finding. It will conclude that sport has been both a product and a mechanism to continue and change the society with emphasis on cultural diffusion, national assimilation and independent assertion in modern Korean cultural society. – from the Preface

Author(s)

Sung-woo Kim

Prof. Kim Sung-woo was born in Seoul in 1950. After graduating from the department of architecture at Yonsei University he went to the United States where he received his master’s degree in urban design from the University of Pennsylvania. He went on to receive his Ph.D. in Architecture and art history at the University of Michigan, writing his dissertation on Korean Buddhist architecture. Since returning to Korea he has served as a professor at Yonsei University, mainly lecturing on architectural history and theory.

Prof. Kim has published many papers on the subject of architectural history and theory as well as the research report Seongju Hangae Maeul (Hangae Village, Seongju), and the books Songgwangsa (Songgwangsa Temple), Hanguk Geonchuksa (History of Korean Architecture, co-author) and Wonya, the Korean translation of a Chinese book on landscape architecture. Prof. Kim’s research is focused on theorizing the spirit of the traditional architecture of Korea and other Asian countries form the perspective of cultural philosophy and thereby contributing to the future development of architecture.

415 pp.
LC# 2007932807
Softcover 15 x 22.5 cm
ISBN-13: 9781565912519
ISBN-10: 1565912519

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