Kim Jeong-hak
Encyclopedia
Kim Jeong-hak was a Korea
n archaeologist.
Born in Munch'ŏn, South Hamgyŏng Province, North Korea
, Kim first studied archaeology
and folklore
at Keijo Imperial University
, the colonial predecessor of Seoul National University
. He also studied for a time at Harvard University
in the United States
.
Kim was one among the first generation of post-colonial, post-Korean War
archaeologists in South Korea along with others such as Kim Won-yong
. He taught archaeology at Seoul National University for a time and moved to Korea University
in 1947 and became one of the founding faculty members of the Department of History. He also served as the Director of the Korea University Museum. He moved to Yeungnam University
in 1968 and served as a professor and museum director at Pusan National University
through most of the 1970s.
Kim was known for his expertise in the pottery
and bronze
culture of the Mumun Pottery Period
. His book, The Prehistory of Korea, was one of the few publications existing on Korean prehistory in English for much of the latter half of the 20th century.
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n archaeologist.
Born in Munch'ŏn, South Hamgyŏng Province, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, Kim first studied archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
and folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
at Keijo Imperial University
Keijo Imperial University
was a Japanese Imperial University that existed in Seoul between 1924 and the end of World War II.-History:...
, the colonial predecessor of Seoul National University
Seoul National University
Seoul National University , colloquially known in Korean as Seoul-dae , is a national research university in Seoul, Korea, ranked 24th in the world in publications in an analysis of data from the Science Citation Index, 7th in Asia and 42nd in the world by the 2011 QS World University Rankings...
. He also studied for a time at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Kim was one among the first generation of post-colonial, post-Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
archaeologists in South Korea along with others such as Kim Won-yong
Kim Won-yong
Kim Won-yong was a South Korean archaeologist and art historian. Noted in the discipline of Korean archaeology and ancient art history , he was one of the first people recognized as an archaeologist in Korea to receive a Doctor of Philosophy degree.Kim graduated from New York University in 1959...
. He taught archaeology at Seoul National University for a time and moved to Korea University
Korea University
Korea University is a prestigious nonsectarian, private research university located primarily in Seoul, South Korea, and one of the SKY universities, a historical acronym used in South Korea to refer to Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University. Founded by Lee Yong-ik in...
in 1947 and became one of the founding faculty members of the Department of History. He also served as the Director of the Korea University Museum. He moved to Yeungnam University
Yeungnam University
Yeungnam University is one of the largest universities in South Korea outside of Seoul. The university's predecessors, Taegu College and Chunggu College, were founded in Daegu in 1947 and 1950 respectively. In 1967, the two colleges merged to form the degree-granting Yeungnam University. In...
in 1968 and served as a professor and museum director at Pusan National University
Pusan National University
Pusan National University is one of ten flagship Korean national universities and a leading university in South Korea...
through most of the 1970s.
Kim was known for his expertise in the pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
and bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
culture of the Mumun Pottery Period
Mumun pottery period
The Mumun pottery period is an archaeological era in Korean prehistory that dates to approximately 1500-300 BC This period is named after the Korean name for undecorated or plain cooking and storage vessels that form a large part of the pottery assemblage over the entire length of the period, but...
. His book, The Prehistory of Korea, was one of the few publications existing on Korean prehistory in English for much of the latter half of the 20th century.
Selected bibliography
- Ethnological Origin of Korean Nation. Korea Journal 3(6):5-8, 1963.
- The Origin of Korean Nation. Korea Journal 3(7):29-31, 1963.
- The Prehistory of Korea. Trans. by Richard J. Pearson and Kazue Pearson. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, 237 pp., 1978. ISBN 0-8248-0552-6
See also
- To Yu-hoTo Yu-hoTo Yu-ho is a North Korean archaeologist and member of the National People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea....
- Kim Won-yongKim Won-yongKim Won-yong was a South Korean archaeologist and art historian. Noted in the discipline of Korean archaeology and ancient art history , he was one of the first people recognized as an archaeologist in Korea to receive a Doctor of Philosophy degree.Kim graduated from New York University in 1959...
- Kim Jung-baeKim Jung-baeKim Jung-bae is an ancient historian and archaeologist, university professor emeritus, and former President of Korea University in Seoul, South Korea. Kim currently serves as the Chairman of the Goguryeo Research Society....
- Richard J. PearsonRichard J. PearsonRichard Joseph Pearson is a Canadian archaeologist.He grew up in Toronto and Oakville, Ontario and graduated with a Bachelor's degree at the University of Toronto in 1960. Richard Pearson studied at the University of Hawaii, and Yale University under K.C. Chang and received his doctorate in...
- Choi Mong-lyongChoi Mong-lyongChoi Mong-lyong is an archaeologist and Professor in the Department of Archaeology and Art History at Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea. Choi was born in Jeolla Province and received his PhD degree in Anthropology in 1984 from Harvard University in the United States. At Harvard, Choi...
- Sim Bong-geunSim Bong-geunSim Bong-geun is an archaeologist, university professor and administrator at Dong-A University in Greater Busan, South Korea...