Korea lost its independence in 1910 and remained a Japanese colony until 1945. During the colonial period, the main theme in Korean painting was ’Hyangt’osaek’ or “local color”. ‘Hyangt’osaek’ is a series of paintings on the ethnographic features of Korea theme, images of the country and people; artists painted views of the Korean countryside, women, and children in traditional costumes. Paintings on the theme of “local color” were shown at the Joseon Art Exhibition, the country’s only regular major exhibition, which from 1922 to 1944 was conducted by the Japanese government. The study presents the essence of ’Hyangt’osaek’ painting and reveals what guided the artists when they were choosing the subjects of their works, the criteria which the Japanese jury presented to the paintings, the reasons why the jury of the exhibition and the Japanese government encouraged the theme of “local color”, and what kind of an image the works have formed.