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영어

As a part of long-term research efforts concerning potential designation of Jiri-san(Mountain) Area as cultural region, this research aims to understand the culture of Jiri-san(Mountain) Area primarily from geographical perspective with focus on “Location of Jiri-san(Mountain) Area from a Vareity of Perspectives”. It is noteworthy that Jiri-san(Mountain) Area belongs to the Mid-Latitude (30°～60°N) range along with the rest of the Korean Peninsular, as such geographical location affects significantly its weather and vegetation. Jiri-san(Mountain) Area stands close to the sea and high at the boundary between Yeongnam and Honam regions. Jiri-san(Mountain) Area connects to the sea by such rivers as the Seomjin-gang(River) and the Nam-gang(River). Therefore, it is highly likely that the culture in Jiri-san(Mountain) Area blends together local
features of Yeongnam and Honam regions and characteristics of mountainous area and maritime culture. Jiri-san(Mountain) Area brings together a chain of mountains in the southern part of the Korean Peninsular and heads northbound with sporadic protrusions at the southern end of
‘Baekdudaegan’, which indicates that Jiri-san(Mountain) Area must have served as a cultural corridor linking the southern part of the Korean Peninsular with the central and the northern
regions in cultural terms. Jiri-san(Mountain) Area, which remained a remote region over long and winding historical times, began to experience changes in its cultural significance in response to changes in social/economic climate in the late 20th century. It is also significant that the culture of Jiri-san(Mountain) Area representing the remote frontier of the Korean Peninsular has been inspiring changes to the cultural mainstream of the Korean society. The implication that Jiri-san(Mountain) Area holds to our life may change anytime, depending on geographical, social, economic or political circumstances of our time. So far, the life of local residents that traces back to the geographical features of Jiri-san(Mountain) Area has been the source of its culture. Ultimately, it is ‘People’, notably those living our time, that determine the significance of the culture of Jiri-san(Mountain) Area. Therefore, residents, or the size of local population, will
influence its culture to the greatest extent.