Tae-Ho Kim

This article reviews the scholarly works on the history of science and technology in modern Korea, published from 2008 to 2014. It is remarkable that a number of young scholars has entered this field by publishing research on the history of science and technology in Korea during the Japanese Oc- cupation era (1910~1945) and the Park Chung Hee regime (1962~1979), partly in response to the growing number of literature on those periods by historians in general. Those works are helpful for general readers interested in those periods, not just historians of science and technology, in that they meticulously trace the growth of individual scientists and scientific commu- nity in Korea. It should be noted that, however, there remains a potential danger that those works could be misread as overlooking or even endorsing the oppressive systems underlying the growth of scientific enterprise, as they are rather focusing on local dynamics and tensions than raising direct ques- tion about the system ― colonial or authoritarian developmentalism ― itself. Thus it remains as a challenge what could be asked as a “big question” about the history of science in modern Korea, which might change our current un- derstanding of the topic, from those new case studies.

This article critically reviews how well-known scientific figures and events in the history of science in Korea are portrayed in South Korean popular culture. Specifically, this research points out three distinctive tendencies in the way popular media deals with the history of science, as follows: portrayal of famous scientists as “heroes,” who are perfect not only in their scientific
expertise but also in their character; perception of science and technology as a tool for building a “rich nation, strong army”; and dominance of nationalist interpretation of the history of science, which selectively highlights specific events to emphasize “difference” and “independence” from Chinese culture. These tendencies, being presentist and nationalist, impede proper understanding of historical figures and events in the context of their time. As popular culture is the reflection of values and belief of the respective society, it also tells that
these tendencies are also currently prevalent in South Korean society. This research can be useful for historians of science and technology, popular artists, and also for experts in science education who are interested in utilizing popular media in class.

Key words. history of science, popular culture, South Korea, presentism,nationalism

This article traces early career of Kong Pyung Woo, a public figure famous for being the first doctor of medicine in ophthalmology with Korean ethnicity in 1936, for founding and running the oldest and still the most successful private eye clinic in Korea since 1937, and also for his engagement in development of Korean mechanical typewriter since 1949. His case is an illustrative example of how a Korean under the Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945) could build up a career to become a medical doctor, taking full advantage of the chances available.
Kong, born in 1907 in a rural province in northwestern Korea, acquired a doctor’s license in 1926 by passing the qualifying examination of the Government General in Korea. The qualification test was in itself an outcome of colonial education system, in which the supply of medical doctors by only a few tertiary schools could not meet the demands.
After working for a state hospital for one year, Kong volunteered to be a
visiting student at Keijo Medical College, to fulfill his dream of “becoming
a prominent bacteriologist like Noguchi Hideyo.” He was soon officially
appointed as a tutor at Department of Ophthalmology, as he had been
endorsed by professor Satake Shyuichi for his diligence and earnestness.
Satake also encouraged Kong to pursue a doctoral degree and recommended
him to Tokumitsu Yoshitomi, a professor in the Department of Pathology
at Keijo Imperial University, so that Kong could experience cutting-edge
research at the imperial university. Kong reported on his experiments on
the pathology of chorioretinitis centralis by 1935. He submitted the reports
to Nagoya Imperial University, Japan, as a doctoral thesis, and eventually
obtained the degree in 1936, which was the first Korean doctor of medicine
in ophthalmology.
The doctorate made Kong a public figure and he opened his own private
clinic in 1937. The Kong Eye Clinic was the first private eye clinic owned
and run by Korean, and soon became popular in Seoul. Kong’s fame as a
successful practitioner gradually made him express his opinion on various
social issues. Kong did not hesitate to utilize his influence to advocate
the new “modern” way of living, with special emphasis on speed and
efficiency. His engagement in typewriter business since 1949 may also be
attributed to his firm belief in the value of speed and efficiency.
Although he could not fulfill his dream of being an academic, Kong still
remains as an important figure in the history of medicine in modern Korea,
not only for his publicity. By closely analyzing Kong’s personal story, one
can see various aspects of opportunities, personal networks, social norms,
and limitations within the colonial setting.

Keywords: Kong Pyung Woo, Kong Eye Clinic, Keijo Medical College, medical education, Colonial Korea, social status of doctors