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The Discussion and Planning of the Administrative District Consolidation of Gyeonggi-do in 1914: A Case Study on Siheung-gun and its Myeon Units

  • Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University
  • 2024, 81(3), pp.71-108
  • Publisher : Institute of Humanities, Seoul National University
  • Research Area : Humanities > Other Humanities
  • Received : July 15, 2024
  • Accepted : August 7, 2024
  • Published : August 31, 2024

Lee Wonsik 1

1서울대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the process of administrative district consolidation in 1914 through the case of gun (郡) consolidation in Gyeonggi-do, and myeon (面) consolidation in Siheung-gun. Through these events of consolidation, the Japanese Government-General of Korea sought to minimize deviations between each district and reduce costs, while reorganizing local communities to support colonial local rule. By analyzing how these goals of the Government-General took shape alongside the progress of the consolidation plan, the context in which later criticisms of the consolidation were made could be understood. The gun consolidation plan of Gyeonggi-do was embodied in the course of discussions between the Government-General and Gyeonggi-do government. At first, it was decided to merge small guns based on the criteria of population and area, and later, accessibility of the gun government office and transportation were considered important. Myeon consolidation was motivated by the need for boundary clarification and the financial independence of each district. Although the criteria of population and area were set for the purpose of stabilizing the finances of each myeon, only the population criterion was met in the actual plan, and various other factors such as transportation, topography, history, administrative convenience, and gun consolidation were considered. However, even after consolidation, the overall financial conditions of myeon were in difficulty, and complaints were raised mainly from marginalized areas as a result of the consolidation. For the Government-General, it was difficult to fully reflect the actual situation of each local area. Therefore, the criticism that the 1914 consolidation was disconnected from the terrain or daily living sphere and dismantled local communities should be understood not as a result of uniformly applied criteria, but as a result of the unilateral process in which the consolidation was decided by the authorities.

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