It is a well-known fact that a number of Japanese immigrants had come to Korea seeking various opportunities in the new “colony” of the empire at the turn of the 20th century. One such person, Hirayama Masazu (1880-c.1948), had a fascinating life: ostensibly a dairy farm owner and the biggest producer of cheese in Colonial Korea, Hirayama was also a restaurateur, Catholic apologist, philanthropist, film producer, and a spy agent. His ranch / dairy farm, the Hirayama Ranch, was located in modern-day Donam-dong, which was later developed into the massive Hanok complex in the 1930s. His life story is definitely worth discussing, and it also has a surprising connection to the late Peter Bartholomew, of which this lecture is dedicated to. In this lecture, I will discuss the fascinating life and times of Hirayama Masazu and the local history of Donam-dong up to the end of Colonial rule. We will also watch some excerpts from the 1931 silent film epic, produced by Hirayama, The 26 Martyrs of Japan, which was partially filmed at his ranch in Donam-dong.

Jihoon Suk received his BA and MA on Korean modern history from Yonsei University and studied Korean Studies briefly at the University of Michigan. Now, a Ph.D. candidate at Yonsei University, he is doing extensive research on the colonial-era cultural history of Korea, with a special focus on the presence and popularity of modern audiovisual media (sound recordings, films, radio) during that time. He had published a number of articles and research papers in collaboration with various institutions, including the National Contemporary History Museum of Korea, Seoul City History Museum, Korean Film Archive, and the National Gugak Center. He also recently published a book (in collaboration with Nate Kornegay) on the history of Scratch Tiles, a type of brick that was popular in the U.S. and East Asia during the first half of the 20th century. This lecture is his fourth lecture for the RAS-KB.

In-Person: Fifth floor (Conference Room) of FAST FIVE Tower, Namdaemun-ro 9-gil 24, Jung-gu, Seoul (a short walk from Exit 1 of Euljiro-1-ga Station(을지로입구 역, Line 2))  *No RSVP required.

 

 

Online Zoom: Please RSVP by  April 22 (Monday) to receive the link

☞ Payment to be remitted to the following account:

• SHINHAN BANK #100-026-383501 (왕립아세아학회, RAS-KB)
• PAYPAL: https://paypal.me/RASKorea

* Free for Members of RAS Korea and RAS Associates (Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and London)