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Archiving 1946: Records of the Second Year after the Liberation through News Film

2021-08-12 ~ 2021-08-26
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Archiving 1946: Records of the Second Year after the Liberation through News Film
To commemorate the 76th anniversary of the Liberation on August 15, we will introduce eight news films recording the circumstances during the liberation struggle. We present four issues of news film in a series named Korean Newsreel [시보] produced by the Department of Public Information (DPI) and four other issues named Haebang News [해방 뉴-쓰]. It allows us to witness the chaotic social aspects of the liberation struggle.
Korean Newsreel is a news film series produced by DPI, which conducted every step of the film-related business including production, import and distribution in South Korea right after the Liberation. From January 1946 to the end of 1947, a total of 27 issues of Korean Newsreel were produced.
Haebang News is a news film series capturing the energy and joy of the Liberation all over the country. The series was produced by filmmakers who once worked for the Joseon Movie Film Production Company (조선영화주식회사), and ran out into the streets the day after the Liberation with their cameras to capture the raw emotions of Koreans.
Various important events of the time are vividly captured in Korean Newsreel and Haebang News: the visit to Korea by U.S. Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson in 1946 (January 14, 1946), the first formal talks of the US-Soviet Joint Commission (January 16, 1946), the establishment ceremony of the Democratic National Assembly of the Republic of Korea in South Korea (June 14, 1946), the first official discussion of the US-Soviet Joint Commission (March 20, 1946), the 1st anniversary of Liberation Day (August 15, 1946), the 500th anniversary of the promulgation of Hangeul (October 7-9, 1946), the opening session of the newly elected Assembly after the 1946 South Korean Legislative Election (December 12, 1946), etc. 
The news reels also portray the everyday lives in South Korea faithfully: inter-Korea exchange of mail at Gaeseong Station, an exhibition of national specialties, training of the Korean National Guard, demonstration of rural life for the US military, a garden party for domestic and foreign reporters, and sports-related events such as city to city baseball tournaments, Korea-US baseball tournaments, etc. 
In addition, the news reels show us the monumental places at the time: buildings of the Government-General of Korea, which was used by the U.S. Military Government; Seokjojeon Hall of Deoksugung Palace, which was used as the main venue for events by the U.S. Military Government; other major sites in Seoul such as Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, Donghwa Department Store, Seoul District Court, Seoul Stadium, and Gwanghwamun. The films also provide a glimpse into Korean life at the time: military ritual training and inspections, the cars used by government officials, people's clothes, attitudes, and accessories.

References

Books
KANG, Joon-mann, A Walk on the Modern History of Korea – the 1940s, Vol. 1 [한국 현대사 산책 1940년대편 1권], Seoul: Inmulkwasasang [인물과사상사], 2002.
MOON Je-an, et. al., Memory of the August 15th: Landscapes of the Liberation Space, and Historical Experiences of 40 People [8·15의 기억: 해방공간의 풍경, 40인의 역사 체험], Seoul: Hangilsa, 2005.
HAN Sang-eon, Films and Flimmakers in the Liberation Space [해방 공간의 영화·영화인], Seoul: Theory and Practice [이론과실천], 2013.

Thesis
HAN Sang-eon, “A Study on Go to Liberated Korea [다큐멘터리 <해방조선을 가다> 연구],” Contemporary Film Studies, Vol.4, 2007.

Periodical Databases
Databases of The Dong-a Ilbo, The Chosun Ilbo, Kyunghyang Shinmun, etc.

※ Haebang News were collected by the Korean Film Archive from the Kobe Planet Film Archive in Japan in 2005, and Korean Newsreels were collected from the National Archives and Records Administration in the United States by the Korean Film Archive in conjunction with the Korea University Center for Korean History.

Films
  •
    01. Korean Newsreel No.1 (Gongbobu jejang sibo je1ho) , 1946
    1946, soundtrack lost.
    US Secretary of War, Robert P. Patterson visits Korea. He attends the Taegeukgi (Korean national flag)-raising ceremony held in front of the US Military Government Office, and has an interview with newspaper reporters. The film also covers the first formal talks of the US-Soviet Joint Commission, which is also known as the Preliminary Meeting of US-Soviet Joint Commission. The Emergency National Meeting, formed by Rhee Syngman, Kim Gu, Kim Kyu-sik, Lyuh Woon-hyung, Jo So-ang, and Ahn Jae-hong is held in the absence of the left-wing camp. The formation of Joseon National Guard, a parade of Joseon Police School, etc., are revived in hi-def video. The trial of the pro-Japanese businessman Kim Gye-jo at the Seoul District Court is also vividly recorded.
  • 02. Korean Newsreel No.2 (Gongbobu jejang sibo je2ho) , 1946
    1946, soundtrack lost.
    The establishment ceremony of the Democratic National Assembly of the Republic of Korea in South Korea held on February 14, 1946 is captured. All 28 senior members of the Emergency National Meeting who appeared in Korean Newsreel No.1 are appointed as members of the Democratic National Assembly. However, among them, Lyuh Woon-hyung does not show up due to the limitations of the role of members of the Democratic National Assembly. The film describes key political figures during the liberation period who attended the establishment ceremony. Speeches by Rhee Syngman, Kim Gu, Kim Kyu-sik, and remarks by Ahn Jae-hong, Kim Seon, Won Se-hun, Kim Jun-yeon and Kim Yeo-sik follow. The way the reporters scramble to cover the story clearly reflect the time of political upheaval.
     
  • 03. Korean Newsreel No.5 (Gongbobu jejang sibo je5ho) , 1946
    1946, soundtrack lost.
    This film contains the first official discussion of the US-Soviet Joint Commission held on March 20, 1946 as a result of the first formal talks of the US-Soviet Joint Commission, which was included in Korean Newsreel No.1. Archibald Arnold, the military governor of Korea and US principal delegate, and Lieutenant General Hodge, the commander-in-chief of the US Military Government in Korea, welcome the Soviet’s chief delegate, Lieutenant General Terenty Fomich Shtykov. The film captures many of their remarks with minimal editing. Although the sound is lost, the tension of the scene is captured.
  • 04. Opening Ceremony at the Inauguration of the Korean Interim Legislative Assembly (Korean Newsreel) , 1946
    1946
    This breaking news coverage includes the opening of the newly elected Assembly after the South Korean Legislative Election on December 12, 1946. It includes interpretation of Lee Myo-muk, who is Lieutenant General Hodge’s personal interpreter; and the speeches by Kim Gyu-sik, chairman of the South Korean Interim Legislative Assembly, and Lieutenant General Hodge. It is interesting to see the children's choir singing the Korean national anthem at the end of the opening ceremony.
  • 05. Haebang News No.1 , 1946
    1946
    The breaking news coverage captures the opening ceremony of the exhibition of national specialties held at Donghwa Department Store in Seoul and the 1st anniversary of August 15th. The celebration part includes major figures of the US Military Government such as Lieutenant General Hodge, Archer L. Lerch and Archibald Arnold; the Military Governors of Korea and Rhee Syngman, Kim Gu, Oh Se-chang, etc. The film also captures the Joseon-U.S. baseball game held at Seoul Stadium as one of the events to commemorate the 1st anniversary of August 15th.
     
  • 06. (Haebang News) , 1946
    1946
    The film shows the parade of the Seoul Fire Station held at the US Military Government in Korea on July 10, 1946. It starts with the dizzying performance of firefighters doing abseiling training from the top of the building, relying only on thin ropes. The firefighters demonstrate using their newly acquired equipment to numerous onlookers. In addition, master farmers demonstrate various farming methods in front of US soldiers at an exhibition of crafts and farming methods hosted by the Joseon Farmers’ Association.
     
  • 07. (Haebang News) , 1946
    1946
    Haebang News – Breaking News 3 begins with the round-up meeting in which Archer L. Lerch, the US Military Governor in Korea, invites about 80 domestic and foreign reporters to Deoksugung Palace. The film captures the partylike atmosphere in which domestic and foreign reporters have friendly chats. In addition, events such as the 1st graduation ceremony of the Military Academy affiliated with the National Defense Guard, the 500th anniversary of the promulgation of Hangeul, and local tours by Prime Minister KIM Gu are portrayed.
     
  • 08. (Haebang News) , 1946
    1946
    Dr. Kim Gyu-sik announces the results of the Left-Right Coalition Committee through a broadcast speech. Lieutenant General Hodge, who appears right after Dr. Kim, expresses his strong regret for the various and frequent protests in South Korea at the time. Finally, the news of the 1st National City to City Baseball Tournament appears. A total of 11 cities participated in this tournament, which opens with the match between Daejeon and Gaeseong and signals a splendid new start for Joseon baseball, which lost its vitality under Japanese rule.
    +The first part of the credit for this news reel was lost when it was collected from the Kobe Planet Film Archive in 2005. It is not possible to find out the chronological edition of this news reel.
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