Andrew Soohwan Kim/ April 14, 2022/ Blogs

It has only been about a month since the opening of the National Memorial of the Korean Provisional Government (국립대한민국임시정부기념관) in Seodaemun-gu (an event commemorating the building of the museum was held on the eleventh to coincide with the 103rd anniversary of the founding of the Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai in April 11, 1919). The new addition to Seoul’s sleek collection of modern museum spaces occupies an elevated perch behind the infamous Seodaemun Prison (formerly known as the Keijo Prison), a collection of brick buildings which comprised the carceral arm of the Japanese imperial state against Korean independence activists during the colonial period. As such, the new museum serves as a modern extension of a space already fraught with national, historical, and perhaps political meaning. I visited the National Memorial in the heart of Seoul on the first day of this month, in time to see the museum’s current special exhibition “환국” (lit. return to home country) commemorating the return of the Provisional Government of Korea from exile after the end of Second World War.

Location

The ‘National Memorial’ is situated at the foot of the Ansan and Inwangsan Mountains, a short distance west of Sajikdan and Gyeongbokgung Palace. A single tunnel through the base of Ansan separates the area from the college towns below Yonsei University and Ehwa Women’s University. The site is within walking distance of Gyeonghuigung, the Seoul Museum of History, and the various high-end apartment buildings encasing them.

The museum lies behind Independence Gate, a historically significant structure that replaced the Joseon Dynasty-era Yeongeunmun Gate 영은문 during the dawn of the Great Han Empire during the tail end of the 19th century. The Yeongeunmun Gate and the Mohwagwan Pavilion 모화관 constituted infrastructure that symbolized Joseon-era Korea’s subscription to a Sinocentric regional order centering on imperial China. On the other hand, their successors, Dongnimmun Gate and Dongnimgwan Hall (Independence Gate and Independence Hall), represented Korea’s assertion of nationalism and independence from Chinese hegemony.

Inwangsan Mountain with Forsythia koreana or Gaenari blossoms in full bloom.
Independence Gate. The two stone columns in front of Dongnimmun are the plinths of the old Yeongeunmun Gate.
A marker stone bearing the Yeongeunmun’s plinth stones’ status as “Historical Site No. 33”.
Dongnimmun’s main edifice and arch.
Dongnimgwan (Independence Hall)
An altar memorializing the spirits of ‘patriotic martyrs’. The flower wreaths on the left and right were contributed by Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon and President Moon Jae-in respectively.

Of course, the main historical narrative highlighted by modern-day Independence Gate and the modern park encasing it is Korea’s independence from Japanese colonial rule. This is evident in the number of statues commemorating Korean independence activists present in the space. The main highlight of this history of national determination against colonialism is Seodaemun Prison, a solemn brick monument to a grim past featuring incarceration, torture, and a who’s who of prominent independence activists. The floral tribute ceremony which was being held in Dongnimgwan during my latest visit was a memorial to the victims of this history.

A statue of independence movement luminary Seo Jae-pil (Philip Jaisohn) in the park grounds.
The main park grounds.
Yu Gwan-soon, indomitable female independence activist and March First Movement martyr.
Seodaemun Prison
The prison’s east wall.
The prison’s inner grounds.

The Museum

The actual museum is situated behind the prison, at the foot of Ansan Mountain and in front of a prominent high school campus. As to be expected with museums and virtually all other public spaces in Korea, the structure was sleek and aesthetically pleasing. Two design posters marked the building during my visit. One announced the museum’s ongoing special exhibition dealing with the return of the Provisional Government of Korea from exile in China after the end of the Pacific War.

The other larger poster proclaimed the museum’s official opening date as March 1, 2022. This date was significant as it marked the 103rd anniversary of the March 1st Movement.

I mentioned the fact that this space dedicated to historical memory could potentially have political significance. Historical memory in Korea is often an issue of political contention (in large part due to the social and political divisions left over from the colonial period and the following division of the peninsula). In the case of the Provisional Government and its new memorial in Seodaemun-gu, the most pertinent political controversy would be that of the proper foundation date of Daehanminguk, the Republic of Korea.

There are in fact many ‘foundation days’ in modern-day South Korea, including Gaecheonjeol on October 3rd, which is linked to the foundational legends of the ancient kingdom of Gojoseon, the first state in Korean history (references to four or five millennia of unbroken Korean history originate with these foundation legends). Gwangbokjeol on August 15 commemorates the liberation of the Korean people from colonial rule in 1945, but it is also the date of the formation of an independent Korean government south of the 38th parallel in 1948. Samiljeol commemorates the birth of the Manse Independence Movement in March 1st, 1919 and the proclamation of a Korean Declaration of Independence by thirty-three independence leaders (with mostly Christian and Cheondogyo backgrounds) at the Taehwagwan Restaurant in present-day Jongno-gu, Seoul. April 11, 1919 was the birthday of the Provisional Government in Shanghai, and the single date with arguably the most pertinence to the National Memorial of the Korean Provisional Government.

There are occasional debates regarding which of these dates should serve as the true birthday of the polity known as the Republic of Korea or Daehanminguk (a polity name that was used by the Provisional Government itself). Often, this debate bleeds into political rifts in Korean society with some, particularly of the political left, advocating for the 1919 dates (i.e. a spiritual birth with the March 1st Movement and a de-facto one with the opening of the Provisional Government on April 11th). On the other hand, previous ROK presidents have acknowledged the 1948 date as the birth of the modern republic. Such historiographical and political subtexts are important in understanding the significance of such spaces as this new museum.

The museum itself was only sparsely populated with visitors during my visit and was pristinely new. The front desk advised me to head to visit the second, third, fourth, and then first floors, in that order.

Each floor had a prominent theme or series of themes, which all followed a certain chronological order. The second floor entrance exhibit took up the theme of the birth of the Provisional Government, its main features, and some initial history. The first exhibit’s titular plaque announced the transition of Korea from a “country of a king to a country of the people” (군주의 나라에서 국민의 나라로). As if the accentuate the point, a moving art piece consisting of chrome balls morphed from the Hanja character for ‘king’ to the Taegeuk pattern symbolizing the modern ROK.

The museum literature clearly situated the foundation of the Republic to the formation of the Provisional Government in 1919, and even traced the birth of a democratic and civic society in Korea to the struggles of the Provisional Government. Thus, the legacy of the Provisional Government, as narrated by this space dedicated to historical memory, is that of the birth of modern Republic of Korea, which was armed with a spirit of resistance against the dual evils of imperialism and authoritarianism. Thus, the foundational spirit of the ROK as seen through its roots in the Provisional Government is a dual spirit centering on anti-imperialism and democracy. Perhaps some political overtones may be present in this historical narration, which was planned, built, and completed entirely after the inauguration of the Moon Jae-in administration, but a basically positive view of the Provisional Government and its legacy is taken to be a virtual fait accompli in Korean society.

From monarchy to modern-Korea. The initial character (王) meaning ‘king’ morphs into a Taegeuk pattern.

The initial exhibit contained historical documents pertaining to the birth of the Provisional Government, with especially prominent pieces being the “Declaration of Great Sovereignty”, the Constitution of the Provisional Government, and other important print artifacts shown below. A veiled area in the center of the hall showcased a projection movie which portrayed the initial convocation of the Provisional Government and its highlights (i.e. the naming of the new nation, formation of the new government’s administrative structure).

The 대동단결선언 or “Declaration of Great Solidarity” (1917) proclaimed by fourteen independence leaders in Shanghai. The Declaration situates national sovereignty with the Korean people and calls for a provisional government organized by Koreans living overseas while the homeland is occupied by Japan.
A video recreation of a foundational meeting of the Provisional Government and the naming of the new government as 대한민국, a name that was chosen over such proposals as 신한민국, 조선공화국, and 고려공화국.
Introduction of the new Constitution as drafted by the Provisional Government.
The Constitution itself.
The first issue of the “The Young Korea”, a publication of the 신한청년당, an organization formed by such prominent Koreans as Lyuh Woon-hyung in 1918 Shanghai (an organization which helped pave the way for the Provisional Government’s formation the following year).

The rest of the second floor showcased the Provisional Government’s main administrative features, as well as its military, police, and foreign policy activities. Weapons of Russian and Japanese origin (e.g. Pulemyot Maxima and Arisaka Rifles) used by the Provisional Government’s fledgling armed forces, which were most prominently known as the Korean Independence Army (한국광복군), were on display. Some interesting foreign policy literature, a letter from Kim Gu to FDR, and an actual passport issued by the Provisional Government were on display in the foreign policy section. Publications by Korean independence activists in various western languages advocating for Korean liberation and Kim Gu’s invocation of the 1882 US-Joseon Treaty of Amity and Commerce (조미수호통상조약) to the US president reveal a desperate overseas lobbying effort for Korean independence.

A Pulemyot Maxima PM1910 (PM M1910) machine gun of Russian manufacture, which saw use in the Provisional Government’s armed forces.
A military uniform of a Gwangbokgun soldier.
The uniform of a security guard for the Provisional Government.
Some literature in English and French advocating for Korean independence.
A letter from Kim Gu to FDR written shortly after Roosevelt’s third inauguration as US President and less than ten months before the start of the Pacific War at Pearl Harbor. Invokes the 1882 US-Joseon Treaty of Amity and Commerce, which served as a legitimizing document vis-à-vis Korean sovereignty and relationship with the US.
A passport printed by the new government. “대한민국 임시정부” is printed in the background and the date is notated as Daehanminguk Year Two (i.e. the second year of the Provisional Government or 1921). Printed for Kim Jung-geuk, whose picture and occupation (student) are shown.

The following exhibits in the third floor included a massive exhibition hall which showcased a massive projection art piece featuring a giant series of flowing Taegeukgi designs.

The adjacent hall showcased historical facts pertaining to the Provisional Government after the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War. In its retreat, the Provisional Government basically followed the retreat of the Guomindang forces, eventually joining Chiang Kai-shek’s government in Chongqing.

One detail one may notice on the map detailing the route of the exiled Provisional Government to Chongqing is the fact that the 임시정부 left Shanghai in 1932, during Japan’s brief occupation of Shanghai following the January 28th Incident. The Provisional Government was forced to leave their home base in the French Concession of Shanghai due to the protestation of Japan following the assassination of high ranking Japanese commanders by Yun Bong-gil in Shanghai’s Hongkou Park (虹口公園).

Armed resistance to Japanese rule was a major theme covered in the third floor, with detailed media covering the Korean plans to liberate the homeland during WWII and efforts by overseas Koreans to aid the war effort against Japan. The rest of the floor was dedicated to various amendments to the Constitution as well as to the members of the Korean Provisional Congress (the congress itself is introduced as the first ‘National Assembly’ in Korean history). The floor, which was given the theme title of “대한민국 임시정부와 사람들” (lit. the Provisional Government of Korea and its People), had a focus on the human faces behind the exiled Korean independence movement and its activities.

A massive projection show in the art exhibition hall.
The retreat route of the Provisional Government.
An aviation course diploma for prospective Korean pilot from the Essington School of Aviation in Pennsylvania.

The top fourth floor contained an exhibition titled “임시정부에서 정부로” (lit. From Provisional Government to Government) and dealt with the return of the Provisional Government from exile in China to the homeland. A movie portraying the sequence of events, as well as the activities of the returned leaders after the homecoming was shown in one corner. Some prominent features included various media of the returned leaders, including pictures of inaugural ROK president Syngman Rhee, the “Instrument of Surrender” (1945) signed by Japan and various Allied commanders to conclude the war, and a voice recording of a 3.1 Movement anniversary speech by independence activist and educator Jo So-ang.

Syngman Rhee after liberation (John Reed Lodge, commanding general during the US Army Military Government in Korea or USAMGIK, sits to Rhee’s right).
The special exhibition hall.
The Instrument of Surrender (1945). Notice signature by Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP) Douglas MacArthur.
Jo So-ang’s March First anniversary speech (1946). The actual recording played beside a vintage phonograph.
A view of Seodaemun Prison and beyond from the fourth floor. Namsan Tower stands prominently in the distance.

Finally, I headed to the first floor, which actually served as the final floor of my museum tour. The first floor included a special exhibition hall, which, as advertised by the poster outside, dealt with the topic of “환국” (lit. return to country or homecoming). The main highlights of the special exhibition included a model recreation of the ceremonial arch which greeted the return of the Provisional Government leaders from exile (the arch itself sporting an iconic mix of bold Hanja characters and the single English greeting “Welcome!!”). A recreation of the “환국기념 서명표” – a cloth signed by the luminaries of the Provisional Government before their return to Korea – was given center stage. Such short resolutions included amongst the signatures as 침착하고 용감하자 “lets be calm and brave” (Seo Sang-ryeol) reveal the anticipation, anxiety, and enormity of the situation that faced the returning leaders. Overall, the special exhibition portrayed the historical moment of return from exile with great and colorful detail and made for an edifying conclusion to my tour of the museum.

The first floor entrance hall.
Signatures and resolutions of the Provisional Government leaders on the eve of their departure from Chongqing and arrival in Korea.
The special exhibition hall.
A library space on the first floor.
The National Memorial’s first floor entrance/exit.

Overall, the National Memorial was a worthy visit that featured a variety of interesting artifacts regarding a relatively obscure history that mostly took place outside the peninsula. Whatever the current historiographical or political debate may be of the true meaning of the Korean Provisional Government and its true place in the history of the Republic of Korea, it remains very much the case that the Provisional Government is a central symbol of Korea’s resistance to colonial oppression, a resistance that was carried out, by necessity, in exile in various foreign settings. The museum itself is a sleek, modern, and informative narrator of this desperate chapter of Korean history and a worthy addition to a space already fraught with historical meaning in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul.

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