‘The Korean History Photograph Collection’ provides photo data collected by the National Institute of Korean History at home and abroad in order to help users to take a closer look at the significant moments of Korean history through various photographic materials. In particular, the contents related to the photographs were explained in Korean and English so that various users could access the materials more easily.

1. ‘Korean Provisional Government’
The 27 year history of Korean Provisional Government (KPG) that was established as ‘republic’ where power is held by the people, based on the nationalistic aspiration erupted in the March 1st Movement of 1919, has been classified into three periods: Shànghǎi Period (1919-1932), Migration Period (1932-1940), and Chóngqìng Period (1940-1945). Topics of the photographs include governmental activities, party activities, military and diplomacy affairs, foreign relations, external organizations of KPG, and the daily lives of the governmental members. We included photographs of repatriation of the KPG members to Korea in the Chóngqìng Period section. Photographs relavant to Korean Patriotic Legion (한인애국단) and Korean Liberation Army (한국광복군) were added in separated sections. The photographs of KPG’s main figures for each period and those of KPG’s historic sites that are currently in China are included, as well. For a better understanding of users, we also added party and governmental documents. This section contains more than 430 photos.

2. ‘Aspects of Society in the 1920s’
This section is composed of 395 photographs capturing social aspect of Korea under the Japanese colonial rule, mainly during the term of Saitō Makoto (1919-27, reappointed 1929-31) as the Governor-General of Korea. Photos and relevant explanations are arranged under the sub-themes such as ‘Appeasement Policy,’ ‘Industries: Development and Exploitation’, ‘Public Offices and Shinto shrines’, and ‘Special Topic’. Through these themes, we intended to show how the Government-General appeased Korean people and established the foundation of its authority in controlling Korean peninsula in the 1920s. In the Special Topic section, we included photographs related to daily lives of Koreans, Japanese and Westerners residing in Korea at the time. Photographs related to the colonial view of history, which the Japanese authorities used to justify Japanese control of Korea, are also added to the section. Users will be able to see the life and social networks of the people under the colonial control, while also recognizing the new meaning and reorganization of the Korean Peninsula itself in its relations with Japan.

3. ‘The New Village Movement and Everyday Life in Rural Villages during the 1960s and 1970s’
This section is composed of photographs secured by the National Institute of Korean History’s project of collecting historical sources from local communities. These photos are included incidentally in local records, so they do not have national representation and are in poor condition. However, since it has been kept as a valuable record in the community, it is of high historical value in that it shows how central policies were implemented in the region and how the daily lives of the residents were at that time. Most of these photos were taken for exhibition purposes in the village community and myeon (township) offices, so they do not fully show the inner side of the community. However, the fact that national policies were being implemented and reflected in every corner of rural villages and that they were very conscious of the nation's eyes suggests an important aspect of the history of the 1960s and 1970s.