재난 수행성과 한강의 기적: 국가/수도 공간 재편으로서의 재난과 한강개발

초록

This paper explores the development of the Han River in Seoul through the concept of disaster performativity, demonstrating how floods were not merely natural disasters but actively utilized by the state to reshape urban space, justify governance strategies, and facilitate economic transformation. By examining three critical historical moments—the 1925 Eulchuk Flood and colonial urban restructuring, the 1960s-70s land reclamation and real estate speculation, and the 1980s Han River redevelopment for the 1988 Olympics—this study reveals how flood-related disasters were performatively constructed to serve political and economic objectives. The 1925 flood enabled the colonial government to demolish and relocate Korean settlements under the guise of disaster recovery, reinforcing spatial segregation. The 1960s-70s saw flood control policies linked to large-scale land reclamation, which fueled speculative real estate development and contributed to capital accumulation. In the 1980s, severe pollution in the Han River was framed as an environmental crisis, legitimizing an ambitious redevelopment project that transformed Seoul into a modern Olympic city while reinforcing middle-class urban culture. Through these cases, the paper argues that Han River development was not merely a technical response to environmental challenges but a political process where disaster discourse was strategically employed to consolidate state power, restructure urban space, and shape socio-economic hierarchies. This research contributes to the broader understanding of disaster governance as a performative mechanism for spatial control and economic accumulation in modern cities

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