According to Yonhap News Agency on the 20th, with the improvement of inter-Korean relations at the beginning of the new year, the management and protection of historical sites related to the Korean independence movement in China have drawn increasing attention from South Korean society. Kim Joo-sung, a historian and director of the Institute of Korean-Chinese Historical Culture at Wonkwang University as well as a professor in the Department of History, stated that South Korea and China need to jointly investigate and commemorate the history of the anti-Japanese struggle.
Kim Joo-sung recently gave an exclusive interview to Yonhap News Agency, offering unique insights into the management of historical sites related to the Korean independence movement in China and made the above statements. He has long been devoted to the survey and research of historical sites related to the Korean independence movement in China. Over the past 26 years, he has visited China more than 140 times for field investigations, visiting over 400 historical sites, making him one of the few experts in this area in South Korea.
Kim Joo-sung, an expert in the study of the Korean independence movement history in China. Yonhap News Agency
When President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea visited China at the beginning of the month, he specifically visited the former site of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai and the site of the heroic act of Kim Bong-gi in Lu Xun Park (formerly Hongkou Park), and on the same month's 20th, during a cabinet meeting, he instructed the relevant departments to properly maintain the facilities. On the 14th of the same month, the Korean Independence Memorial Museum announced its work plan, stating that it will conduct an inventory and investigation of 1,032 overseas historical sites related to the anti-Japanese struggle over the next three years, with a total budget of 423 million South Korean won (approximately RMB 20.205 million).
Kim Joo-sung said, "This work is meaningful, and as a historian, I feel very fortunate personally. However, the inventory and investigation should not be superficial; we should achieve a qualitative leap. For this purpose, we need to cooperate with Chinese institutions such as the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japan Memorial to jointly investigate related historical documents and sites."
Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing recently gave an exclusive interview to Yonhap News Agency, expressing his views on the protection of historical sites related to the Korean independence movement in China, saying, "Historical sites related to the Korean independence movement in China are a testament to the friendship and mutual support between China and South Korea, and the Chinese side has always attached great importance to their protection and management." Kim Joo-sung said that the Chinese side has listed many historical sites related to the provisional government as cultural relics for protection, which is highly commendable and reassuring. Regrettably, compared with Shanghai, Chongqing, and Guangzhou, the progress of investigating anti-Japanese historical sites in Northeast China has lagged due to geopolitical factors. In addition to the An Jeong-gwan Memorial Museum, historical sites such as the Fengwudong Battle and the Qingshanli Battle require further investigation and research.
The cave dwellings in Yan'an where the Korean Volunteer Army once lived. Yonhap News Agency / Photo by Kim Joo-sung
When asked about "which historical sites related to the Korean independence movement are most overlooked by Koreans," Kim Joo-sung replied without hesitation, "The martyrs of the Korean Volunteer Army, including Yoon Seok-joo and Chen Guang-hwa, who rest in the Taehansan Mountains are seriously neglected. According to the director of the Korean Volunteer Army Museum,尚荣生, Koreans do not often visit these places, while Chinese university students regularly come to visit and pay tribute through projects like 'red study tours.'"
"We should remember these overlooked heroes of the independence movement. Being an independence activist was a high-risk profession, and they sacrificed their lives to return to daily life and freedom," Kim Joo-sung pointed out. He noted that the underestimation of the Korean Volunteer Army in South Korea is partly due to the long-term division of the Korean Peninsula, but moving forward, we need to set aside ideological prejudices and differences and re-examine the history of the independence movement. He emphasized that if we can work together with the Chinese side to review our shared history of resistance, it will help better manage the historical sites related to the anti-Japanese struggle in China.
Regarding the question of "how we should shoulder the responsibility for the martyrs who died abroad," Kim Joo-sung answered, "We should constantly remember, mourn, and commemorate the history of the martyrs, and not forget them. This is the responsibility of the descendants. Especially young people, such as students, should frequently visit the historical sites related to the anti-Japanese struggle in China and cherish and pay attention to the history of the anti-Japanese struggle in China. He introduced that Chinese staff working at units such as the Korean Independence Site Museum have a deep understanding of the history of joint anti-Japanese efforts between South Korea and China and have a strong sense of mission and responsibility. At a time when tensions are rising between South Korea and China, historical sites related to the anti-Japanese struggle in China can serve as an important medium for healing real-world wounds through shared history."
Kim Joo-sung emphasized that South Korea and China need to continue to jointly study the history of the anti-Japanese struggle and establish a cooperation mechanism for this purpose. However, such work needs to start at the national level, as individuals alone cannot achieve much. "Before discussing the management issue, South Korea and China need to establish a joint research and investigation team for these historical sites. Management is important, but what is even more important is that both sides should reach a consensus and understand each other. I believe that as long as both sides are united in heart, the relevant policies and practical work will naturally follow," Kim Joo-sung said.
Finally, Kim Joo-sung specially thanked several friends, including Jia Qing-hai, former director of the Chongqing Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea Site Exhibition Hall, Zhu Cheng-shan, director of the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Museum, and Du Bin, researcher at the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japan Memorial, for their strong support during his visits to historical sites in China. He said that the assistance from these Chinese friends is precious, and behind the peace in Northeast Asia lies the silent contributions of these friends.
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Original: toutiao.com/article/7608844411372175882/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.