Reorganization of the memorial ceremony and changes in ceremonies before and after the division (1945~1953)

Abstract

The eight years before and after the division were the turbulent times of liberation, division, and war. This period required cultural planning to create members of a new era and group. During this period, the memorial was a major plan to secure the legitimacy of the group and form the identity of internal members through the meaning of death and the hierarchy of death. To this end, a memorial ceremony was held for the death of various ethnic groups from the past to the present immediately after liberation. The left and right sides each selected the object of the memorial ceremony and held a memorial ceremony to secure public support. However, as the political landscape of the liberation space changed, the memorial system began to be reorganized. Throughout the division, many memorial systems were forgotten in public space. However, the importance of the memorial ceremony for the soldiers and police who died was further emphasized. Through the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident and the battle on the 38th parallel, the status of the memorial ceremony for war dead was strengthened, while the scale of the implementation of the memorial ceremony was expanded. Throughout the war, the date of the three-gun joint memorial ceremony began to be regularized for the first time. In addition, on the day of the memorial service, the Republic of Korea requested the voluntary participation of the people through public action guidelines such as prohibition of drinking and dancing, silence, and self-reflection. However, as can be seen from the issue of the support of bereaved families, the gap between the state and the people regarding the decree still existed. Nevertheless, the three-gun joint memorial system was regularized on a nationwide scale under the leadership of the state, and became a representative memorial ceremony in Korea.