TITLE

The Contents of Namsan Park Records at the Seoul Metropolitan Archives

JOURNAL

Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture

ABSTRACT

Namsan Park in Seoul was designated as a “grand park” in 1954 and is currently operated as an ‘Urban Nature Park Area’ and four ‘neighborhood parks.’ However, despite the park's historical and cultural value as an urban park, it has been discussed mainly from a perspective revolving around notions of a mountain or a city wall. To ensure a comprehensive exploration of Namsan Park’s history, this study examined public records at the Seoul Metropolitan Archives (SMA), which houses the city’s permanent records for preservation and organization. To this end, documents in the SMA Database (DB) were analyzed, yielding 1,359 records concerning Namsan Park. Based on the contents, general characteristics of the urban park were identified through production periods, record types, and disclosure types. Then, essential keywords concerning organizations, people, geographical areas, subjects, and business functions were examined. Finally, the contents and characteristics of Namsan Park in public records were scrutinized, focusing on specific spaces. This research also uncovered important information, such as park drawings, photos, planting lists, plant parcel lists, and significant discussions and decisions regarding the operation and management of the park. Although the public records do not contain a comprehensive history of Namsan Park, it was possible to check the primary historical changes and deliberation processes pertaining to the park's history. Therefore, continuous research intended to interpret and describe public records is expected to identify many implications. In addition, because the public records showed heterogeneous characteristics that center on specific periods and events, an essential task is to advance collaboration and networking with various related institutions, designers, researchers, and citizens.

KEYWORDS 

Urban Park, Landscape Architectural Archives, Park Archives, Public Records, Seoul

CITATION

김정화, 길지혜, 서영애, 박희성, 최혜영, & 이명준. (2022). 서울기록원 소장 남산공원 기록물의 현황과 내용. Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture, 50(6), 110-123.