Korea; Museum; Memory; Japanese colonization

a case study Seodaemun Prision History Hall, Seoul-South Korea

Abstract

This paper presents the organization of the permanent exhibition of the Seodaemun Prison History Hall, located in Seoul, South Korea, as a constructor of the historical fact - the brutal Japanese colonization in Korea - and how the memories and testimonies allowed the narratives to be defined exhibited at the museum, the objectives and impacts caused to visitors. The paper starts from a brief exposition of how Korea was colonized by Japan in the early twentieth century. It follows the discussion made possible by classroom debates about the construction of fact, memory and testimony in a historical narrative. Finally, it focuses on the organization available in the Museum and the impacts generated by the exhibition but analyzing the place as responsible for spreading one of the most sensitive moments in the history of Korean society.