3 - The Politics of Memory in the Sorokdo National Hospital as a Heritage of Hansen's Disease in South Korea

This paper examines the politics of memory that emerged during making the Sorokdo National Hospital, a heritage, and as its result how Sorokdo(Sorok island) is currently represented, and how these representations might change in the future by the ongoing politics of memory. The hospital was established in 1916 for segregating and curing people affected by Hansen’s disease, and there were many kinds of human rights violations in it.

Under the Act of inquiry into human rights abuses suffered by person’s affected by Hansen’s disease and on providing assistance to such victims, the South Korean government conducted a survey on the human rights violations experienced by the victims in the late 2000s. Also, Under the act, Hansen’s Disease Museum was opened at the hospital in 2016. A museum committee was formed to discuss about what to exhibit, and under what narrative to explain and show them, based on not only the findings from previous research about people affected by Hansen’s disease, the Sorokdo Hospital, and Hansen’s disease itself, but also different views from various groups.

Recently the politics of memory currently restarted in terms of how the hospital would be made as a heritage site. At this time there are more players such as several central government agencies, religious groups, and a local government in where the hospital located besides original players such as doctors, staff, and residents. Many players, and their different visions make difficult to expect the future of Sorokdo National Hospital as a heritage site.