, colloquially referred to as , was an
Imperial University of Japan that existed between 1924 and 1946. This university was established in 1924 in
Gyeongseong
Seoul has been known in the past by successive names, including Wiryeseong () and Hanseong (Baekje era), Bukhansangun (Goguryo era), Hanyang (North and South states period), Namgyeong (, Goryeo era), Hanyangbu (Goryeo under Mongol rule), Hanseong ...
, known as Keijō during the period of
Japanese occupation of Korea
Between 1910 and 1945, Korea was ruled as a part of the Empire of Japan. Joseon, Joseon Korea had come into the Japanese sphere of influence with the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1876; a complex coalition of the Meiji period, Meiji government, military ...
, now modern-day
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. Keijō Imperial University was abolished by the
United States Army Military Government in Korea
The United States Army Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK) was the official ruling body of the Southern half of the Korean Peninsula from 8 September 1945 to 15 August 1948.
The country during this period was plagued with political and eco ...
(USAMGIK) in 1946, following the Japanese surrender to the Allies and the subsequent withdrawal of Japan from its occupation of Korea at the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Keijō Imperial University was succeeded by the
Seoul National University
Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a national public research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1946, Seoul National University is largely considered the most prestigious university in South Korea; it is one of the three "S ...
, which is today one of the
flagship Korean national universities
The Flagship National Universities (Korea NU 10, ko, 거점국립대학교, Hanja: 據點國立大學校, literally: national universities designed as provincial centres) is a collective term referring to ten universities in South Korea that hav ...
.
History
Keijō Imperial University was founded in 1924 as the sixth
Imperial University of
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
during the
period of Japanese rule, followed by
Taihoku University,
Nagoya University
, abbreviated to or NU, is a Japanese national research university located in Chikusa-ku, Nagoya. It was the seventh Imperial University in Japan, one of the first five Designated National University and selected as a Top Type university of T ...
and
Osaka University
, abbreviated as , is a public research university located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It is one of Japan's former Imperial Universities and a Designated National University listed as a "Top Type" university in the Top Global University Project. ...
in 1928, 1931 and 1939, respectively. While the other Imperial Universities located in Japan were run by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Keijō Imperial University was run by the
Governor-General of Korea
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
.
During the
March 1st Movement
The March 1st Movement, also known as the Sam-il (3-1) Movement (Hangul: 삼일 운동; Hanja: 三一 運動), was a protest movement by Korean people and students calling for independence from Japan in 1919, and protesting forced assimilation ...
, 31 out of 171 students who participated in the movement were from Keijō Imperial College.
Following the end of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Korean nationalist groups initiated through movements the establishment of a Korean private nationalistic university, which was referred to as ‘The People’s University.’ In response, the Japanese regime established Keijō Imperial University in modern-day
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
, 1924. Upon its establishment, Keijō Imperial University became the only operating university in Korea. All other educational and tertiary institutions immediately transitioned into three-year, non-degree-granting institutions. Keijō Imperial University was amongst nine Japanese imperial universities by the year 1939. Keijō Imperial University was the sixth imperial university to be established. Along with Taihoku Imperial University (which is now the National Taiwan University), Keijō Imperial University and Taihoku Imperial University were the only two Japanese universities that were established outside the Islands of Japan. It was one of two Imperial University’s established in Korea by Japan.
Keijō Imperial University published original articles and abstracts in journals including
Shinkeigaku-zassi (Neurologia),
Seishin-shinkei-gaku zassi (Psychiatria Et Neurologia Japonica), and
The Journal of Chosun.
![Keijo Imperial University - Preliminary School](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Keijo_Imperial_University_-_Preliminary_School.jpg)
After the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Keijō Imperial University was renamed to "Kyŏngsŏng University" (). After the war,
Gyeonseong University was no longer considered a Japanese university, and it was closed by the
USAMGIK
The United States Army Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK) was the official ruling body of the Southern half of the Korean Peninsula from 8 September 1945 to 15 August 1948.
The country during this period was plagued with political and eco ...
on August 22, 1946, under US Military Ordinance No. 102. While speaking to Korean officials, the U.S. Military Governor stated that “we (U.S.) gave a basic law enacted which will place our national university on a level equal to the best in the world."
The remaining properties of Keijo University merged with Gyeongseong Industrial School, Gyeongseong Mine School, Gyeongseong Medical School, Suwon Agriculture School, Gyeongseong Economics School, Gyeongseong Dental Medicine School, Gyeongseong Normal School and Gyeongseong Women's Normal School into
Seoul National University
Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a national public research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1946, Seoul National University is largely considered the most prestigious university in South Korea; it is one of the three "S ...
. Additionally,
Seoul National University College of Medicine
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...
was established in 1946 through the merger of Keijō Medical School and Keijō Imperial University.
Controversies
In the early twentieth-century, all 194 students enrolled at Keijō Imperial University purposely did not attend class as a form of protest towards comments made by staff. 185 students were suspended, and 9 students were expelled.
Graduate student of Keijō Imperial University’s Medical College,
Kang Gi-pal
Kang may refer to:
Places
* Kang Kalan, Punjab
* Kang District, Afghanistan
* Kang, Botswana, a village
* Kang County, Gansu, China
* Kang, Isfahan, Iran, a village
* Kang, Kerman, Iran, a village
* Kang, Razavi Khorasan, Iran, a village
* Kha ...
, led South Pyeongan Province’s
March 1st Movement
The March 1st Movement, also known as the Sam-il (3-1) Movement (Hangul: 삼일 운동; Hanja: 三一 運動), was a protest movement by Korean people and students calling for independence from Japan in 1919, and protesting forced assimilation ...
.
In April 1908, medical students enrolled at
Keijō Medical College
Keijō, or Gyeongseong, was an administrative district of Chōsen that corresponds to the present Seoul, the capital of South Korea. :ko:경성부, -(Seoul of Korea under Japanese rule)
Honmachi
The central district of Gyeongseong was H ...
withheld from attending a welcoming ceremony of the Japanese governor-general of Korea,
Itō Hirobumi
was a Japanese politician and statesman who served as the first Prime Minister of Japan. He was also a leading member of the ''genrō'', a group of senior statesmen that dictated Japanese policy during the Meiji era.
A London-educated samur ...
.
The Keijō Imperial University research team organised and conducted field studies on sampling of blood typing, as well as physical anthropology research from people representative of the
Korean peninsula
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
. The gathering of men and women by local police and administrative power had been conducted as measuring them was necessary for the progression of Keijō Imperial University’s physical anthropology research. In 1937, Keijō Imperial University extended its research of physical anthropology field studies to
Manchuria
Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer Manc ...
and
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. Keijō Imperial University’s field studies in
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
,
Manchuria
Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer Manc ...
and
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
were financially supported by the Japanese government and research foundations.
Controversies surrounding Keijō Imperial University’s research of physical anthropology and blood typing is related to the use of a racial index
.I. (= A%+AB%/B%+AB%) Professor
Ock Joo Kim of
Seoul National University
Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a national public research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1946, Seoul National University is largely considered the most prestigious university in South Korea; it is one of the three "S ...
states “the Japanese researchers put Koreans as a race between the
Mongolian and the
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
. The preoccupation with constitution and race also pervasively affected the medical practice: race (Japanese, Korean, or Japanese living in Korea) must be written in every kind of medical chart as a default.”
Faculties and divisions
Law and literature
* The division of law and literature encapsulated studies belonging to
law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
,
literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
,
history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
and
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
.
* At Keijō Imperial University, students had the opportunity to publish their literary works. In a preparatory literature course, students published in the magazine titled ‘Seiryo’. In a regular course, students had the publish their literary works in the magazine titled ‘Jōdai Bungaku’.
* Western History Education at Keijō Imperial University was offered as a study at the university.
Medicine
* Seoul National University College of Medicine was established in 1946 after the abolishment of Keijō Imperial University by the merger of Keijō Medical School and Keijō Imperial University. The first class graduated in 1947.
* The
Governor-General of Korea
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
's Office Hospital was developed into a hospital attached to the faculty of medicine at Keijō Imperial University in 1928. The hospital had a psychiatry ward which was the only psychiatric institution in
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
at the time. Results shared by Keijō Imperial University psychiatrics
Kubo Kiyoji and
Hattori Rokuro, the psychiatric ward had admitted 576 Japanese patients, and 508 Korean patients from its establishment to 1930.
* Keijō Imperial University only had about 40 beds for psychiatric patients in 1928.
* Keijō Imperial University was under the jurisdiction of the
Korean Governor-General. As there was not enough funding for both Keijō Imperial University’s medical department alongside the Governor-General of Korea Hospital, therefore, staff from the Governor-General’s Hospital were transferred to Keijō Imperial University’s medical department. At the Keijō Medical Professional School, professors, assistant professors and assistants lectured in Mental Science. The hospital connected to the university was expanded to have 222 beds with a total of 35 physicians, with staff including directors, medical officers as well as professors. Keijō Imperial University’s medical department contributed towards the Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology up until 1945 by members of the medical department and professors of psychiatry. Studies at Keijō Imperial University included publications on insanity, symptomatic psychosis, sleep disorder, epidemiology, alcohol and morphine addiction, and schizophrenia.
* Keijō Imperial University was the only institution in Korea to have psychiatric beds until 1931 when a psychiatric was established within the Severance Union Medical School Hospital.
* Twenty-nine research papers and abstracts on psychiatric treatments were presented and reviewed at Keijō Imperial University. Major research areas included biological psychiatry and biological treatment. During this time, Japanese psychiatrists had introduced German psychiatry into Japan and Keijō Imperial University. Professors who contributed towards this research included Professor Kubo, Dr. Hattori, Dr. Hikari and Professor Suits. Malarial fever therapy, as well as sulphur-induced fever therapy and insulin shock treatment were frequent research topics at Keijō Imperial University. Six more papers on psychotherapy were published at the university, two being on persuasion therapy, three being case reports on psychoanalytic therapy, and one paper being on Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalytical therapy research has shown evidence that there had been limited triads conducted in the follow-up of literal guidance, where further development was not noted.
* Keijō Imperial University also conducted studies relating to pharmacology, psychology, pathology and parasitology. Amongst these, topics for medical research included the research into control of infectious diseases, hygiene and environmental health for Japanese and Koreans.
Engineering and natural science
* This faculty or division was established in 1938 before the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
Japanese cultural policy and influence
Keijō Imperial University was established due to Japanese colonial regime. During the time of its establishment, there were only eight known
Korean colleges within the country which had a tertiary level equivalent to Japanese secondary school. Due to
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
’s colonisation of
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
, Keijō Imperial University was deemed a Japanese university. Cultural policies aimed in increasing the level of Korean tertiary education, and there has been controversy surrounding the educational imperialism implemented through scholarly commentaries, both during the universities time being active, and after. Through the implementation of this university, Korean education became centralised. This meant that several Japanese ideologies were implemented into this education system, such as the implementation of students and teachers paying homage to
Shinto
Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...
shrines. Other forms of Japanese cultural implementation were the prohibition of religious instruction as part of official curriculums, as well as the Japanese standing as the givers of particular instructions concerning tertiary decisions. The establishment of Keijō Imperial University was viewed by scholars as means of having a higher education institution in place for Japanese occupants of Korea, as well as providing political influence and advantage. Political influence included the suppression of growing Korean
nationalism
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a in-group and out-group, group of peo ...
, as Japan was an occupying force. This was largely due to the want in preventing the People’s University from coming into fruition, through the influence of Japanese nationalism towards Koreans individuals such as through tertiary institutions. The founding of Keijō Imperial University allowed for the introduction of the modern four-year university system into
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
.
Statistics
1910s
By the end of 1919, 79 out of the 141 students attending Keijō Imperial University had been expelled.
1930s
For Korean individuals, admission into Keijō Imperial University was a very competitive process as the admission of Korean students was restricted to between one-fourth and one-third of the total number of enrolled students at Keijō Imperial University. By 1930, six years after Keijō University was established, the number of enrolled students was at 520. This was equivalent to 6.7 percent of the number of students enrolled at Tokyo Imperial University. Japanese students made up the majority of the students enrolled. Amongst two thousand graduates during the colonial period, the number of Korean graduates was at seven hundred, the other thirteen hundred being Japanese.
In 1934, the total enrolment of the Keijō Imperial University was 930 students. The percentage of Korean students which made up this number was of 32%. Although the Korean percentage rose in the coming years, namely in 1942 where the percentage of Korean students was at 39%.
1940s
In 1943, Keijō Imperial University had 67 professors and 203 students who were Japanese. Three professors and 170 students were Korean.
Graduate statistics
150 students received a doctor of medicine degree from Keijō Imperial University.
Faculty and alumni
Presidents
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
Faculty
*
Yoshishige Abe
was a philosopher, educator, and statesman in Shōwa period Japan. As Minister of Education in the immediate post-war era, he oversaw major reforms to the Japanese educational system.
Biography
Abe was born in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture as the ...
- literature
*
Reginald Horace Blyth
Reginald Horace Blyth (3 December 1898–28 October 1964) was an English writer and devotee of Japanese culture. He is most famous for his writings on Zen and on haiku poetry.
Early life
Blyth was born in Essex, England, the son of a railway c ...
- English author, taught English and
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
*
Pek Nam-Un - Korean Marxist, taught
economic history
Economic history is the academic learning of economies or economic events of the past. Research is conducted using a combination of historical methods, statistical methods and the application of economic theory to historical situations and ins ...
*
Motoki Tokieda
was a professor of Japanese linguistics at University of Tokyo. He is noted for developing the Process Theory of Language (言語過程説, ''gengo katei setsu'') and his criticism of Ferdinand de Saussure.
Biography
Tokieda was born on Dece ...
- taught
linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...
*
Hiroshi Nakamura - biochemist and historian
*
Shinji Suitsu
*
Akiba Takashi
*
Suzuki Eitaro
*
Hattori Rokuro
* T. Kawamura
*
Kiyoki Kubo – Kubo was offered a professorship at Keijō Imperial University when the medical school was established.
Most of the staff at Keijō Imperial University specialised in the fields of physical anthropology, publishing and composing a series of works on Korean physical anthropology which were included within the Journal of the
Anthropological Society of Nippon.
Alumni
* Lee Hyo-seok - Korean writer
* Shin Hyeon-Hwak - Korean politician
* Choi Byun-ju - former Korean Supreme Court justice and politician
*
Rimhak Ree
Rimhak Ree (alternative spelling: Im-hak Ree, December 18, 1922 – January 9, 2005) was a Korean Canadian mathematician. He contributed in the field of group theory, most notably with the concept of the Ree group in .
Early life
Ree received h ...
- Korean Canadian mathematician
See also
*
Imperial Universities
The were founded by the Empire of Japan between 1886 and 1939, seven in Mainland Japan (now Japan), one in Korea under Japanese rule (now the Republic of Korea) and one in Taiwan under Japanese rule (now Taiwan). They were run by the imperial go ...
*
Seoul National University
Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a national public research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1946, Seoul National University is largely considered the most prestigious university in South Korea; it is one of the three "S ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keijo Imperial University
Seoul National University
Colonialism
Educational institutions established in 1924
Educational institutions disestablished in 1946
Schools under the old system of education in Japan
Korea under Japanese rule
Defunct universities and colleges in South Korea
1924 establishments in Korea