The Incorporation of Songdo Secondary School as a Foundation and the Gaeseong Local Community during the Japanese Colonial Period

This study investigates the process of incorporating Songdo Secondary School during the Japanese colonial period, situating it within the broader social and economic transformations of Gaeseong in the 1930s. Founded by the Southern Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States and Yun Chi-ho as a Christian missionary school, Songdo Secondary School was nevertheless regarded by the people of Gaeseong as a vital social asset that provided access to secondary education. In 1933, Principal Kim Jun-ok, upon taking office, spearheaded the drive for incorporation with the backing of Yun Chi-ho, the missionary society, and Gaeseong’s local elites. In response, prominent residents organized a foundation promotion committee, and in consultation with governor Lee Ki-bang, levied contributions proportional to property ownership. With broad community support, the school successfully completed its incorporation in 1936. Gaeseong’s Korean residents, drawing on a strong commercial tradition, retained significant economic power even under colonial rule. By the 1930s, however, the city was seeking to transform itself into a modern urban center. Within this context, education emerged as a central concern. The incorporation of Songdo Secondary School thus represented not only a change in governance but also a broader local movement through which the residents of Gaeseong actively sought to shape the city’s future.