Abstract

Following the onset of Japanese colonial rule, the Mt. Geumgang region was recontextualized within a new binary: Outer Geumgang came to symbolize modernity, while an idealized, romanticized notion of antiquity was projected onto the pristine landscape of Inner Geumgang. This study examines the sense of place of Inner Geumgang and its visual representations during the frst half of the twentieth century. Once a major destination for premodern travelers, Inner Geumgang came to be redefined primarily through the beauty of its valleys, with tranquil streams brought to the foreground and its numerous peaks relegated to the background. Its most renowned sites were severed from their previous associations and reinterpreted through a feminized lens. Manpokdong was redefined as “serene” and Myeonggyeongdae was transformed from a Buddhist mirror of judgment into a vanity mirror associated with female adornment. By analyzing the interplay between colonial tourism and visual representations, this study demonstrates how gendered reconfigurations of Mt. Geumgang and its scenery reshaped the modern perception of its landscape and contributed to a new visual regime.