1909 The Changgyeongwon Greenhouse, 2023

In 1912, Japan's colonial authorities repurposed Changgyeonggung Palace into Changgyeongwon, Korea’s first public park, as part of a broader effort to undermine the symbolic power of the Korean monarchy. Overseen by Itō Hirobumi and managed by the Governor-General of Korea, this transformation aimed to erode the prestige of the royal family by converting a former palace into a public leisure space, diminishing its historical significance. The construction of the greenhouse, designed by Fukuba Hayato, further reinforced this agenda by blending Western modernity with Japanese imperial influence, embedding colonial authority within the heart of Korean heritage. Notably, Changgyeongwon housed the largest greenhouse in East Asia at the time, signaling Japan's modernizing ambitions in the region.

Japan’s actions in Korea can be examined through the lens of the dual mandate system—initially articulated by Lord Frederick Lugard in British colonial Africa. The dual mandate suggested that colonial governance should benefit both the colonizer and the colonized. In Korea, Japan adapted this concept to justify its transformations as acts of modernization that supposedly benefited the Korean people, while in reality, these efforts reinforced colonial control and suppressed Korean cultural identity. The creation of Korea’s first public park and the construction of the greenhouse were presented as symbols of progress, yet they simultaneously erased traditional cultural sites and imposed Japanese imperial symbols.

The conversion of palace grounds into a public park and the construction of the greenhouse were deliberate spatial strategies designed to assert colonial dominance. These interventions embedded Japanese authority into Korea’s urban fabric, transforming the landscape into a medium for communicating imperial ideology. Korea served as a testing ground for Japan's broader imperial ambitions. Through projects like Changgyeongwon, Japan refined its model of modernization and control, influencing its later strategies in other colonies, such as Manchuria and Taiwan. The greenhouse, framed as a symbol of progress, was both a scientific development and a tool of biopolitical control, asserting Japanese authority over both the natural and cultural environments. These transformations sought to redefine Korean identity, aligning it with Japan’s imperial narrative while masking them as beneficial advancements.

By framing public projects as acts of benevolence, Japan presented its interventions as mutually beneficial, while aiming to weaken Korean heritage and replace it with imperial symbols aligned with Japanese authority. The subtle, investigative approach here reveals the complexities of Japan’s modernization narrative—showing how these interventions were tools of cultural domination. Far from mere modernization efforts, they embedded imperial influence into both the physical landscape and cultural consciousness, using public projects as instruments of control while presenting a facade of mutual benefit under the guise of the dual mandate. This analysis highlights how Japan blurred the lines between progress and domination, embedding imperial symbols into everyday life and cultural memory.

The greenhouse and public park also reshaped social life by redefining how local communities engaged with these transformed spaces. By altering the physical landscape, Japan redefined the social and cultural experiences of Korean citizens, turning what was once a royal space into a symbol of imperial benevolence. This anthropological dimension underscores how Japan’s colonial strategy extended beyond overt control; it subtly embedded its influence into daily routines and cultural practices, ensuring the persistence of its authority in more insidious ways.