Between ideology and entertainment: Gyeongseong (Seoul) cinemas under the colonial rule between 1934 and 1942

ABSTRACT Until the mid 1930s, cinemas in the Bukchon (northern village) district of Gyeongseong (currently Seoul) such as Danseongsa, Jeil Theater, Joseon Theater and Woomigwan dominated the exhibition in Seoul under the Japanese colonial rule. During the colonial era, first or re-run theatres were dedicated to show foreign films, which both colonial Korean and Japanese audiences loved the most. This is in contrast to the situation in Japan, where its domestic films predominated. However, with more acute political conflicts emerged in the region, the Japanese authorities sought to control the colonial Joseon (Korean) film market by restricting the number of screenings and the availability of foreign films. The Motion Picture Control Regulations is seen as the first Japanese ‘screen quota’ in Korea; the Red and White distribution system was established in May 1942 in order to provide screens with domestically produced (both imperial Japanese and colonial Korean) films. Colonial screens were simply not capable of projecting imperial ideology, as it was heavily profit-driven. A conflict between the colonial Korean and imperial Japanese systems drove the industry during this period and in this article, I will examine the transition of the colonial policies on film screenings and challenges arising from the exhibition sector.