뉴스레터

I participated in the Korea-China international conference on "Imperial Japan's Aggression and Korea-China Joint Struggle," held from the 28th to the 31st of August in 2015 at the Center for Korean Studies at Fudan (復旦) University in Shanghai (上海), China. I also visited historic sites related to the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.

The Korea-China Struggle Against Japan Goes Unnoticed

This conference opened with two keynote speeches, each by Han Shi-joon, Director of the Academy of Asian Studies at Dankook University, and by Shi Yuanhua (石源華), Professor at Fudan University. And five Korean and five Chinese scholars, including myself, gave presentations, which were then discussed. All the Chinese scholars stressed that the Korea-China joint struggle against Japan had played an important role in the World Anti-Fascist War and that China had also played an equally large role in World War II by, for example, dealing a serious blow to Japan in the anti-Japanese war, although, to their regret, this was little known to scholars in Korea, Japan, and the West.

My presentation was on 'The September 18 Incident Provoked by Japan and the Korea-China Joint Struggle in Northeast China (Manchuria),' with emphasis on how, following Japan's invasion of Northeast China (Manchuria) in September 1931, the Korean independence movement groups active in that region had joined forces with the Chinese volunteer army affiliated with the Chinese Nationalist Party and the anti-Japanese guerilla unit affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party in struggle against the Japanese invaders with some notable success. Professor Fu Dehua (傅德華) at Fudan University, who was assigned to the discussion on my presentation, noted that the meaningful Korean independence movement seemed to go unnoticed by international scholars, as did China's anti-Japanese war. He stressed the need to let the world know the truth of the anti-Japanese war and urged both Korean and Chinese scholars to work harder than before to discover and study related materials.

'The July 7 Incident and One Aspect of the Korea-China Joint Struggle,' presented by Yang Ji-seon, Professor at the Academy of Asian Studies at Dankook University, drew attention with the claim that China's support for Korea's independence movement after Yun Bong-gil's mission in 1932 had been not unilateral but reciprocal.

On the 28th and the 30th of August in 2015, before and after the conference, there were field trips to historical sites related to the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. Visiting such sites is important and meaningful in the study of history.

The Provisional Government Complex in Shanghai Reopened

The Provisional Government building, still remaining at No. 4 in Puqingli (普慶里), Shanghai, was used as the office of the Korean government-in-exile in Shanghai for about six years from 1926 to early May in 1932. The Provisional Government had found an office in the French concession, where it was possible to conduct business and command independence movement in relative safety from the watching eyes of Japanese authorities, especially the Japanese Consulate in Shanghai. But financial difficulties would force the Provisional Government's office to move around to different places. For example, the Provisional Government had to leave its first office, which opened in June 1919 in a decent two-story building at No. 309 on Baochang Road (寶昌路), in just about five month.

Although the Provisional Government's office had been only at No. 4 of the current complex, nearby buildings at No. 3 and No. 5 were purchased by the Korean government and the Independence Hall of Korea in 2001 as part of an extensive renovation project that transformed the whole complex into a museum. Another, 700 million-won renovation project was undertaken, and entirely financed, by the Chinese government this year on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule and also the 70th anniversary of China's 'victory' in the war against Japan.

When we arrived, the Provisional Government Complex seemed very busy preparing for reopening. The overall concept of the new exhibition, although similar to the old one, seemed to have an added emphasis on China's support and roles. The renovated Provisional Government Complex will be a good and important place to visit and learn about Korean independence movement.

The Provisional Government left Shanghai in early May in 1932, shortly after Yun Bong-gil's mission on April 29, and settled down in Chongqing (重慶) in 1940 after moving around for eight years to different cities, including Hangzhou (杭州), Nanjing (南京), and Changsha (長沙).

The entrance to the ROK Provisional Government Complex in Shanghai. The brass plaque in the lower right corner reads: 'The Old Site of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.'

In the afternoon on the 28th, we visited Hongkou (虹口) Park (presently Luxun Park) in Shanghai, which included the Japanese apricot garden (梅園), a special space for the commemoration of Yoon Bong-gil's mission. There were a Memorial Hall named after his nickname Maeheon (梅軒) and a monument, both in good condition. Yoon Bong-gil was a member of the Korean Patriotic Corps when he carried out the special operation. Therefore, after his bomb killed Commander of the Japanese Army Shirakawa Yoshinori (白川義則) among other Japanese figures whose names were synonymous with Japan's invasion of China, Kim Gu, who was the director of the Corps and also a State Minister of the Provisional Government, found himself in trouble and his life threatened as he was pursued hard by the Japanese police.

His hardships continued as he fled and took refuge in different places, including the Meiwan Street (梅灣街) in Jianxing (嘉興) near Shanghai, or the place called Jaecheongbyolseo (載靑別墅) by the Nanbei Lake (南北湖) in Haiyan County (海鹽縣). Fortunately, he was protected by the policy of the Nationalist Government and the Nationalist Party of China, which helped him get out of a crisis several times. In the afternoon on the 30th of August, we also visited the Provisional Government building in Hangzhou and had an opportunity to learn about the activities of the Government's key figures during those difficult times.

This conference and field trip made me realize once again that the Korean independence movement, especially the one in China, still has an important meaning in world history and teaches us lessons. I encourage the readers to pay a serious visit to the sites of Korean independence movement scattered around China, remembering our ancestors who laid down their lives for their country.

Yun Bong-gil Memorial Hall and explanation board (Left) in Hongkou Park, where he conducted a special operation to kill the Japanese invaders