Eunpyeong-gu Raises Taegukgi with Independence Movement Symbol Painted Like the Rising Sun Flag at Jingwansa Temple

The 75th Anniversary of Liberation Day Celebrated as a Proud Symbol of Independence: Taegukgi Raised at Jingwansa Temple on the 14th-15th

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Eunpyeong-gu (District Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) will commemorate the 75th anniversary of Liberation Day by displaying the Jingwansa Taegukgi (Registered Cultural Heritage No. 458), discovered at Jingwansa Temple in the district, as street flags on major arterial roads such as Tongil-ro in Eunpyeong-gu from the 14th to the 15th.

The Jingwansa Taegukgi, Registered Cultural Heritage No. 458, which Eunpyeong-gu intends to display as street flags, is a Taegukgi used by Monk Baek Chowol during the independence movement. It was discovered on May 26, 2009, during the dismantling and repair work of the Chilseonggak at Jingwansa Temple, found between the altar and pillars. Independence movement materials were found alongside it, making it a cultural asset of great historical value.

As part of the memorial project for independence activist Monk Baek Chowol, Eunpyeong-gu has been displaying the Jingwansa Taegukgi together with the national flag every year on Samiljeol (March 1st Movement Day) and Liberation Day since 2015. Following a joint agreement on the memorial project signed in 2016, the project has continued with Goseong-gun and Hamyang-gun in Gyeongnam also displaying the Jingwansa Taegukgi.

The Jingwansa Taegukgi is particularly notable for being presumed to have been made by painting blue over the Japanese imperial flag (Iljanggi), expressing a strong resistance against Japanese oppression.

It also reveals that the Buddhist community actively interacted with the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and carried out independence activities, with temples including Jingwansa serving as bases during the independence movement. The Jingwansa Taegukgi is an important resource for re-examining not only Jingwansa and the Buddhist community but also the realities and significance of Korean independence history.

An official from Eunpyeong-gu stated, “We hope that the citizens of Eunpyeong-gu will proudly feel the great spirit embodied in Monk Baek Chowol’s Jingwansa Taegukgi, a proud symbol of independence.”

This year, due to unprecedented record-breaking heavy rains, the display schedule may be adjusted depending on weather changes.