Reading the Landscape through the Perception of Residents of Banwol and Bakji Island - Based on the Change before and after the Purple Island -

Abstract

As of 2019, for the 'Island I Want to Visit' project, Banwol and Bakji Islands, located in Shinan-gun, started color marketing to create a tourist attraction by painting roofs, buildings, and facilities purple. As this landscape change was evaluated as a 'dangerous but beautiful attempt,' it was recognized as the 'World's Best Tourism Village' in 2021, drawing attention from domestic and foreign tourists. However, the residents of the islands, who created and enjoy the benefits of the landscape, were alienated from the planning stage. This study investigated the meanings and symbols of residents' perceptions of the purple landscape. The cultural landscape frame of new cultural geography, which interprets the landscape's symbolic meaning and ideological signs, was utilized. In addition, a holistic approach was applied to understand the residents' perceptions of the multi-layered environment. Therefore, the perception of purple, the main color of the islands, the overall landscape and individual places, and the general perception of the Purple Island project were investigated.After the Purple Islands Project, the main senses for recognizing the villages focused on sight, and the residents were satisfied with the purple landscape as it improved the underdeveloped village environment. This satisfaction was based on lessening the negative memories experienced as an island rather than a value judgment on the purple color. In addition, the perception of the symbolic landscape, which has a social and universal system, has been subdivided and reorganized, including for tourism functions. It can be understood