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Emi Suiin’s A Whaling Ship for an Actual Exploration(1907) and Jangsaengpo Whaling Station as a Hybrid Place

Hur, Young-Ran 1

1울산대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

A Japanese novelist and journalist, Emi Suiin(1869~1934) made a visit to Jangsaengpo, Ulsan in mid-April~early May, 1906 and made an inspection of Japan’s whaling business. Containing his experiences, his travel essay A Whaling Ship for an Actual Exploration introduced various subjects in mutual contacts via the whaling station of Jangsaengpo, Ulsan in the spring of 1906. The goal of his travel essay was to promote the successful activities of Japanese whaling corporations that made an entry into “uncivilized” Korea in order to raise the pride of expanding Japan. Making the imperialistic faith as part of himself, he adopted the viewpoint of “civilized Western men,” whom he wished to identify with, to observe and ridicule Korea and Korean people. His book offers no voices from the Korean people regarding the whaling station, but the descriptions of Korean people in the viewpoint of the writer can be interpreted to make a conjecture. They provide implications about the ideas and strategies of people in Jangsaengpo that adjusted and responded to new changes. In 1906, Jangsaengpo was not a place where upcoming colonization took place already, but a hybrid place where pluralistic subjects and culture met and interacted together.

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