Description

In 1940, students of the Medical Department at Keijō Imperial University set out to investigate the health and living conditions of urban residents in what were perceived as the ghettos of Seoul (Keijō). Called the t’omangmin, these new urban residents whose burgeoning numbers and needs the infrastructure of Seoul was unable to handle were considered part of the “population problem,” as categorized by colonial authorities. Juxtaposing this with other research projects, the presentation explores the rhetoric of love and cooperation in a purportedly scientific investigation to interrogate medical activities and health administration in the context of Seoul’s urban development and expansion of Japanese military expeditions during the Pacific War.

Sonja M. Kim is Assistant Professor of Asian and Asian American Studies at Binghamton University (SUNY) where she teaches courses on Korean history and East Asia. Her research interests are on issues of gender, medicine, and public health in 20th century Korea.