Modern Summer Military Uniforms of the Korean Empire and Japan : Focusing on Regulations and Artifact

The Korean Empire institutionalized its first Western-style military uniforms through the Regulation of Army Uniforms (陸軍服裝規則) in 1895, marking a significant transition from traditional attire to modern military dress. Given Korea’s distinct seasonal climate, particularly its hot and humid summers, the establishment of a separate summer uniform system was both practical and necessary. To better understand the summer uniform of the Korean Empire, this study examined legislative records, photographic sources, and a surviving late-19th-century summer military jacket of the Japanese Army. The Korean Empire’s summer uniform regulations -enacted in 1895 and revised in 1897, 1906, and 1907-gradually became more detailed over time, defining wearing periods (hot season), color specifications (from white to later brown standardization), and usage limitations, while permitting flexibility in trousers. These developments show how the system evolved from a conceptual adoption of Western-style dress into a more structured and context-specific uniform framework. The examined artifact is a short single-breasted cotton jacket, featuring hook-and-eye fastening, chevron-shaped sleeve insignia, and a sword belt fastening strap. Its construction, structure, and wearing style closely correspond to photographic records of summer uniforms worn in the Korean Empire, offering tangible insight into garments that can no longer be found in Korea. Although no confirmed artifacts from the Korean Empire remain, this garment provides an important reference point for understanding what such uniforms may have looked like. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of how Western-style military dress was introduced, localized, and adapted to Korea’s climate and institutional context during the early modern period. Moreover, it offers a meaningful foundation for future research, historical reconstruction, and cultural content development.