Jinju, Sacheon, and Sancheong Cultural Centers Jointly Host 'National Debt Repayment Movement Commemorative Academic Conference'

Presentation of 3 Papers Highlights National Debt Repayment Movement Centered in Jinju, Western Gyeongnam Region

Concept photo of the joint hosting of the National Debt Repayment Movement commemorative academic conference

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] On the 10th at 2 p.m., the Jinju, Sacheon, and Sancheong Cultural Centers in Gyeongnam jointly held the ‘115th Anniversary of the National Debt Repayment Movement Commemorative Academic Conference’ at the Citizen Hall of Jinju City Hall.

This academic conference was the first event following the memorandum of understanding signed on February 23 by the cultural centers of the three cities and counties to promote the inheritance and development of traditional culture and establish a friendly cooperative relationship.

On this day, three papers were presented: ‘Development and Significance of the National Debt Repayment Movement’ by Professor Kim Il-su of Kyungwoon University; ‘The Role of Women in Gyeongnam Region in the National Debt Repayment Movement’ by Researcher Kim Hyung-mok of Seonin History and Culture Research Institute; and ‘Development and Lessons of the National Debt Repayment Movement in Western Gyeongnam’ by Chu Ho-seok, Head of Local History Research at Jinju Cultural Center.

The National Debt Repayment Movement, the topic of the presented papers, was a national sovereignty restoration movement carried out between 1907 and 1908 to repay the national debt borrowed from Japan through public fundraising by Korean citizens.

At that time, intellectuals from Jinju, where the Gyeongnam Provincial Government was located, as well as from Sacheon, Sancheong, and Namhae, along with lower-class people such as gisaeng and baekjeong, actively participated in the movement to save the declining country.

The National Debt Repayment Gyeongnam Association, organized around Jinju where the Gyeongnam Provincial Government was located, announced its purpose statement on March 9, 1907, with representative promoters including Kang Ju-je (Kang Ju-sik), Kang Gyeong-ho (Kang Sang-ho), and An Heon (An Hwack).

On March 12, 1907, hundreds of people including An Taek-jung, An Hyo-jeong, Kim Yeon-bae, Kim Gi-dae, Lim Byeong-hwan, Noh Sang-jik, Kim Hwi-don, Park Jun-seong, Kang Young-jwa, Ha Man-du, Noh Sang-uk, and Yoon Pil-gu participated at Jinju Central Sanatorium (former Provincial Hospital).

Jinju Mayor Cho Gyu-il said, “The exchange among the three cultural centers is sufficient to serve as a model for all cultural centers nationwide,” and expressed gratitude to those involved in organizing the academic conference.

Kim Gil-su, Director of Jinju Cultural Center, stated, “This National Debt Repayment Movement commemorative academic conference is a joint project of the three cultural centers and will greatly contribute to building a traditional culture inheritance network in western Gyeongnam,” adding, “We will also strive to support the movement to restore the provincial government to Jinju, which is desired in the western Gyeongnam region centered on Jinju City.”