바로가기메뉴

본문 바로가기 주메뉴 바로가기

logo

Postcolonial Urbanization and the Changes of Vernacular Toponyms around Bupyeong-gu, Incheon: A Critical Perspective

Korea Journal / Korea Journal, (P)0023-3900; (E)2733-9343
2012, v.52 no.1, pp.140-170
https://doi.org/10.25024/kj.2012.52.1.140

  • Downloaded
  • Viewed

Abstract

The present patterns of naming around Bupyeong-gu of Incheon reflect the long and contentious history of Japanese colonialism, the significance of reinstating Korean toponyms after liberation, and the contemporary politics of culture, identity, and belonging. The vernacular toponyms of Bupyeong have played an important role in the construction of identity among the people who identify themselves with the imagined community named Bupyeong. It is speculated that local Korean residents were still using these autochthonyms, or vernacular toponyms, as substitutes for the Japanese names during the Japanese colonial period. Since the 1980s, indigenous toponyms have disappeared in everyday conversations, while being replaced by the names of apartment complexes. Wontei Gogae, by contrast, is an old vernacular toponym that is still in use along with the creation of humorous nicknames. The toponym Datagumi can be classified as a kind of resistant toponym in that it has no alternative toponym. Since the 1940s, Samneung, the Korean pronunciation of a Japanese toponym, has been used as an alternative toponym to the official toponym Bupyeong 2-dong. The vernacular toponym Cheolmasan has been so wellknown that everyone recognizes it. In the time of displacement of residents due to rapid urbanization, however, people misidentified the name Cheolmasan with two other mountains.

keywords
Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, Japanese colonialism, vernacular toponym, indigenous toponym, resistant toponym, alternative toponym, official toponym, rapid urbanization

Reference

1.

Bupyeong eupji 富平邑誌(Gazetteer of Bupyeong). 1899.

2.

Bupyeong jido 富平地圖(Map of Bupyeong). 1842-1843.

3.

Cheonggudo 靑邱圖(Map of Korea). 1711.

4.

Daedong yeojido 大東輿地圖(Detailed Map of Korea). 1864.

5.

Dongguk yeoji seungnam 東國輿地勝覽(Survey of the Geography of Korea).1841.

6.

Gijeon eupji 畿甸邑誌(Gazetteer of Gijeon). 1894.

7.

Gwangyeodo 廣輿圖(Enlarged Terrestrial Atlas of Korea). 1555.

8.

Gyeonggiji 京畿誌(Gazetteer of Gyeonggi-do Province). 1842.

9.

Haedong jido 海東地圖(Atlas of Korea). 1750[?]

10.

Jihyeongdo 地形圖(Topographic Map of Korea). 1921.

11.

Jiseung 地乘(Map of the Joseon Territory). n.d.

12.

Joseon jiji jaryo 朝鮮地誌資料(Geographical Documents on Joseon). 1911.

13.

Shinkyu taisho chosen zendo fugun menrido meisho ichiran 新舊對照朝鮮全道府郡面里洞名稱一覽(The Directory of Old and New Names of Districts, Counties,Townships, Villages, and Neighborhoods on the Complete Map ofJoseon). 1917.

14.

Yeojido 輿地圖(Map of Korea). n.d.

15.

Yeoji doseo 輿地圖書(Cultural Geography of Korea). 1757-1766.

16.

Berg, Lawrence D., and Jani Vuolteenaho, eds. 2009. Critical Toponymies: The Contested Politics of Place Naming. Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.

17.

Bupyeong-gu, Incheon Metropolitan City. 1997. Bupyeongsa (The History of Bupyeong). Incheon: Bupyeong-gu Office, Incheon Metropolitan City.

18.

Chough, Chan-Suk. 1992. “Bupyeong jiyeok-ui haengjeong guyeok byeoncheon- gwa gak dong-ui yurae” (The Changes of Administrative Areas and the Toponymic Origins in the Bupyeong Area). Gijeon munhwa yeongu (Studies on the Culture of Gijeon) 21.

19.

Chough, Chan-Suk. 1999. “Yet bupyeong jiyeok-ui ttang ireum-e gwanhan josa yeongu: teukhi bupyeong-gu-reul jungsim-euro” (A Survey of the Geographical Names in the Old Bupyeong Area: With a Focus on Bupyeonggu). Gijeon munhwa yeongu (Studies on the Culture of Gijeon) 27.

20.

Chough, Chan-Suk. 2002. “Incheon gwangyeoksi gyeyanggu jiyeok-ui ttang ireum-e gwanhan josa yeongu” (A Survey of the Geographical Names in the Gyeyang- gu of Incheon Metropolitan City). Gijeon munhwa yeongu (Studies on the Culture of Gijeon) 29/30.

21.

Compilation Committee of the History of Bupyeong. 2007. Bupyeongsa (The History of Bupyeong). Vols. 1-2. Incheon: Incheon Newspaper Co., Ltd.

22.

Gyeyang-gu, Incheon Metropolitan City. 2001. Gyeyangsa (The History of Gyeyang). Incheon: Gyeyang-gu Office, Incheon Metropolitan City.

23.

Jo, Gi-jun. 1999. Jimyeong yuraeji: bupyeong-ui ttang ireum (The Stories of Toponymic Origins: Place Names in Bupyeong). Seoul: Bupyeong Cultural Center.

24.

Kadmon, Naftali. 1997. Toponymy: The Lore, Laws and Languages of Geographical Names. New York: Vintage Press.

25.

Kearns, Robin A., and Lawrence D. Berg. 2002. “Proclaiming Place: Toward a Geography of Place Name Pronunciation.” Social and Cultural Geography 3.3.

26.

Korean Language Society. 1966-1986. Hanguk jimyeong chongnam (The Directory of Korean Toponyms). 20 vols. Seoul: Korean Language Society.

27.

Lim, Yong Ki. 1995. “Joseon jiji jaryo-wa bupyeong-ui jimyeong” (Geographical Data on Joseon Korea and the Toponyms in Bupyeong). Gijeon munhwa yeongu (Studies on the Culture of Gijeon) 24.

28.

Myers, Garth A. 2009. “Naming and Placing the Other: Power and the Urban Landscape in Zanzibar.” In Critical Toponymies: The Contested Politics of Place Naming, edited by Lawrence D. Berg and Jani Vuolteenaho, 85- 100. Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.

29.

Nash, Catherine. 1999. “Irish Place Names: Post-colonial Locations.” Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 24.4.

30.

Rose-Redwood, Reuben S. 2008. “From Number to Name: Symbolic Capital, Places of Memory and the Politics of Street Renaming in New York City.” Social and Cultural Geography 9.4.

31.

Rose-Redwood, Reuben S., Derek Alderman, and Maoz Azaryahu. 2010.“Geographies of Toponymic Inscription: New Directions in Critical Place-Name Studies.” Progress in Human Geography 34.4.

32.

Song, Jong-Hun. 1998. “Bupyeong-ui jiyeokseong gochal” (An Examination of the Regional Character of Bupyeong). Gijeon munhwa yeongu (Studies on the Culture of Gijeon) 25/26.

33.

Vuolteenaho, Jani, and Terhi Ainiala. 2009. “Planning and Revamping Urban Toponymy: Ideological Alterations in the Linguistic Landscaping of Vuosaari Suburb, Eastern Helsingki.” In Critical Toponymies: The Contested Politics of Place Naming, edited by Lawrence D. Berg and Jani Vuolteenaho, 227-251. Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.

34.

Yi, Hyeong-seok. 1998. Incheon-ui ttang ireum (Place Names in Incheon). Incheon: Gacheon Cultural Foundation.

Korea Journal