기억과 공간의 재현

Memory and the Representation of Space: Historical Change of a Coal Mining Town in Kangwon Province

강원남부의 탄광촌은 1989년 정부가 주도한 석탄산업합리화사업을 계기로 급격한 쇠퇴를 보이고 있다. 광부와 주민들이 떠난 폐광지역은 과거 탄광촌의 면모조차 찾을 수 없을 정도로 인구 감소와 경제난에 시달리고 있으며 새로운 대체산업을 모색하고 있다. 본 논문은 폐광으로 인해 가장 큰 타격을 받은 태백시 철암동의 사례연구를 통해 탄광촌의 형성 및 쇠퇴과정을 분석하고, 주민들의 기억을 통해 재현되는 탄광촌의 공간과 삶의 양식을 기술한다. 탄광촌에 대한 민족지적 연구가 결여되어 있는 상황에서 폐광지역 주민의 기억을 통한 탄광촌 재현은 강원지역의 문화연구를 위한 기초 자료로서 활용될 것이다. 또한 국가, 지역운동가, 주민들이 탄광촌의 삶의 양식과 의미를 재현하고 보존하려는 서로 다른 담론을 만들어 내는 과정을 분석함으로써 지역사회의 재현의 정치(politics of representation)가 어떤 맥락에서 진행되고 있는가를 보여준다.

This paper explores the historical change of Cheolam, a coal mining town in Kangwon Province. Cheolam had been a major coal mining town in South Korea since 1960s. It was built as a mining town in 1930s. During the industrialization period, Cheolam had enjoyed a booming stage in economy and population. The rationalization policy of coal mining industry, however, introduced in 1989 by Korean government, decided to lessen the number of coal mines in South Korea. As a result of this policy, most of coal mines in Taebaek area has been closed. There were 45 coal mines, but now only 2. Cheolam people live with the memory of the past. Most of residents left the area after close down of Kangwon Coal Mine in 1993. It had 13,994 people in 1981 but now only 4,037. Current residents are going through economic recession without hope. They are trying to invite substitute industry. In this process, they represent their life as a mine worker, suffered and sacrificed for the economic development of their motherland. Local leaders of citizen’s movement try to emphasize mine workers’ sacrifice. They collect mine workers’ hard life stories owing to physical injuries by accident and poor working conditions in the mine. In addition they remind the people of serious violation of human rights and labor law during the industrialization period, 1970s and 80s. Through these representation, local leaders try to pressure Government to compensate for mine workers’ contribution to the economic development of the country. Retired mine workers and residents of Cheolam show contradictory representation of their life. Comparing previous booming economy with current economic disaster, they remember old Cheolam with nostalgia. This memory is against miserable image of coal mine workers, a strategical representation produced by local leaders. There are politics of representation among the state, retired mine workers, residents and local citizen’s movement leaders. Cheolam people’s narratives of the past and memory of individual life are being negotiated and contested in the politics of memory and representation.