This study sets up the concept of the Event Archives in collecting, managing, and using the event records, because it needs to manage them in another way which connote a variety of interpretations. By contemplating sociological theory about the event, it is study that draws a definition, constituents, and feature of the Event Archives, and applies these to a case, Donghak Peasant Revolution Foundation collecting, managing, and using the records in Korea internally.
In this study, the Event Archives is defined as ‘the records produced from the activity result of the concerned persons and observers within its time and space, or the institution collecting, managing, and using the records. It is composed of 3 constituents, i.e. person, space, and time, each having levels of various interpretations. So the Event Archives’ user can encounter various interpretations about the event through the records. But these various interpretations necessarily make conflict. For this diversity, the Event Archives must mediate a dispute by viewing the event objectively and collect the records with various viewpoints for user to be able to understand the event variously.
In order to verify the concept of the Event Archives, this study analyzes a case by using methodologies: content analysis, in-depth interview, and participant observation. Consequently, it can figure out that the Foundation has the feature of the Event Archives: mediation and diversity. First, the Foundation does a mediating role by collecting the records and promoting the project related to the event. It tries to close a gap between interpretations of the past by collecting, managing, and using the records with a variety of viewpoints. It also tries to close a gap between interpretations of the present by providing the place of compromise to be able to mediate different opinions among the institutions related to the event, for example holding a commemoration meeting, or a project enhancing the spirit of revolution.
Second, the Foundation takes various interpretations of the event reflected in its constituents and terms. Using the archival matrix, this study can figure out the diversity of constituents in the records, and analyzing terms of the event in the records, it can figure out to call name variously. So it knows that the Event Archives does a role as a place to collect the records and coexist with a variety of interpretations.
I hope this study contributes to the academic world as follows. First, a small scale museum, archives, or memorial hall collecting and managing the records will establish their own identify and an obvious reference point on collecting the records. Second, the Event Archives will make mutual exchange among the persons concerned and observers, especially researchers. And this will make ‘Narrative Truth’ to rise to the public. Third this study will provide the new frontiers to an existing archives and archivists by drawing the feature of the Event Archives: mediation and diversity. Finally, this study will be the basic research on the Event Archives. Hopefully, the Event Archives copes with mission to collect and manage the records being not eliminated for the future researchers.