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NAHF is introducing and reporting organizations related to Northeast Asian history and Dokdo

in order to increase exchanges and cooperation with the civic group.

On April 11 this year, the 101st anniversary of the Korean Provisional Gov't was special for the Korean Provisional Government Memorial Society(Chairman: Kim Ja-dong). This is because the National Memorial of Korean Provisional Government was declared to be grounded. Since we are founded, the most important purpose has been achieved, and the efforts of the past have been fruitful. The National Memorial of Korean Provisional Government is being built by government and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021. This will be a bridgehead to open the new 100 years of the Republic of Korea.

President Moon Jae-in on April 11 gives a speech at a ceremony

marking the 101st anniversary of the Korean Provisional Government at Seodaemun Independence Park in Seoul.

ⓒMinistry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs

The Korean Provisional Government Memorial Society was founded on September 15, 2004. The founding declaration states that 'The Korean Provisional Government's independence spirit is inherited and developed to promote the national vital force and independence ideology and to advance peaceful unification'. It is the mission of celebrating and preaching the historical reality of The Korean Provisional Gov't.

The preamble of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea states as follows. ‘We, the people of Korea, proud of a resplendent history and traditions dating from time immemorial, upholding the cause of the Provisional Republic of Korea Gov't born of the March First Independence Movement of 1919…’. This declares that the foundation for establishing the Republic of Korea is The Korean Provisional Gov't. However, we still do not know about the Provisional Gov't that gave us the national title of ‘Korea’.

One example is that the Provisional Government is mistakenly called the Shanghai Provisional Government. It is true that the early provisional gov't was at the French Concession in Shanghai, China. However, after the brave deed of Yun Bong-gil in April 1932, the provisional gov't left Shanghai. The Provisional Gov't will hold a long journey of hardship for eight years from Hangzhou-Jeonjang-Changsa-Guangzhou-Ryuzhou-Chizang until it settled in Chongqing in September 1940. And they stay in Chongqing for more than five years. This is why the title of Shanghai Provisional Gov't is wrong.

There is another example. There are more than 3,000 people participating in the provisional gov't, but it is no exaggeration to say that Kim Gu, Lee Bong-chang, and Yun Bong-gil are all related patriotic martyrs that people remember. From Shanghai in 1919 to Chongqing in 1945, the provisional gov't endured 27 years in China. We do not know the beginning, achievements of the provisional gov't, and the sweat and blood devoted by the independence activists for the birth of the Republic of Korea.

The meaning of the provisional gov't was devalued in the modern history of Korea. It was also buried that the history of the provisional gov't was ignored as the starting point of the Republic of Korea and that it was the center of the independence movement during the Japanese colonial period. At the time of returning to Korea after the liberation, the provisional gov't officials in Chongqing had to return to their individual status at the request of United States Army Military Government in Korea. It was a pity.

There is another symbolic example of this. Kim Won-bong, the person who founded the Korean Volunteer Army(military organization), and who was appointed as the head of the military after joining the Korean Independence Army of the Provisional Gov't, was insulted by Ro Deok-sool, a Japanese police officer. A great independence activist who organized Euiyaoldan(the Heroic Corps) and brought up the word ‘righteous and vehement struggle’ was caught and insulted by Ro Deok-sool. Kim Won-bong, an independent movement hero ignored by Japanese police, was the figure of the provisional gov't in Korean modern history.

The establishment of The Korean Provisional Gov't was a revolutionary turning point in which our history changed from 'the king's country' to 'the nation of the people'. It is also the brilliant achievement of the provisional gov't that rooted the democratic republic in our history and led the liberation of our country.

The Provisional Gov't did not bow its will for liberation. Lee Bong-chang and Yun Bong-gil's brave deed in 1932, The Provisional Gov't did not stoop its will for liberation. They worked unceasingly, from Lee Bong-chang and Yun Bong-gil's brave deed in 1932, the founding of the Korean Independence Army in 1940, the Cairo Declaration that led to Korea's independence in 1943, and the establishment of the Eagle Project in 1945.

Also, the Provisional Gov't was a huge melting pot of unity covering each political faction. The difference between left and right ideology was not important because there was a great meaning of liberation of the country. Under the flag of the Provisional Gov't, all the political factions gathered together and went along the path of independence.

Since its founding in 2004, we have continuously identified and informed these aspects of the provisional gov't through various events such as academic conferences, publications, exhibitions, performances, and exploration. We visited the site of the anti-Japanese struggle every year, and held big events such as a visit to the cemetery of the patriot in North Korea in 2006, an exhibition and an academic conference titled ‘a country dreamed of a provisional government’ in 2009. The most important goal of all these projects was to build The Memorial Hall for Korean Provisional Gov't.

On November 23, 2015, we launched a committee(chairman: Lee Jong-chan) to promote the construction of The Memorial Hall for Korean Provisional Gov't. And the conferences were held such as "The necessity and appropriateness of establishing The Memorial Hall for Korean Provisional Gov't" and "When was the Republic of Korea established?" It was judged that forming social discourse through academic discussions would be the most important momentum to drive social change.

We appealed to the people to build the Memorial Hall through photo exhibitions "From Empire to Republic of Korea" and story funding "Protect Korean History". It was also to achieve the purpose of building the Memorial Hall by publishing a photo book covering the history of the Korean Provisional Gov't and distributing it to office of education nationwide.

It was also notable that we hosted “Concert & Opera: A Promise of 100 years” and “The Resistance Film Festival” in 2018. Finally, in January 2018, the Korean gov't formed a committee to build The National Memorial of Korean Provisional gov't(Chairman: Lee Jong-chan) to honor the proud history of the provisional gov't and the spirit of independence, and opened the groundbreaking ceremony on April 11, 2020.

Bird's eye view of the National Memorial of Korean Professional Government

ⓒMinistry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs

The ‘Democratic Republic’, the first concept that the provisional gov't introduced in Korean history, lost its light in the struggle of division and war. However, the water stream of the March 1 Revolution has flowed vigorously to the present after the April 19 Revolution, the Gwangju Democratization Movement in May, and the June 1987 uprising.

The Provisional Gov't is the root of the Republic of Korea. The 100 years with the Provisional Gov't are 100 years of the Republic of Korea. The newly built The National Memorial of Korean Provisional Gov't should be the base for opening the new 100 years of the Republic of Korea. It should be the basis of creativity to look back on the past 100 years and to envision the future. We will watch, advise and speak at the new process of The National Memorial of Korean Provisional Government.