Jeonnam Province Breaks Ground on 'Namdo Uibyung History Museum' Construction Project

422 Billion Invested, Opening Scheduled for December Next Year

A Comprehensive View of Namdo Uibyung Struggle History

A memorial space is being created in the Gongsan-myeon area of Naju, Jeollanam-do, to reexamine and inherit the noble spirit of the righteous army that fought against Japan during the Imjin War.

On the afternoon of the 2nd at 3 PM, attendees participated in the groundbreaking ceremony, a detailed event of the 'Namdo Uibyung History Museum Groundbreaking Ceremony,' held in the area of 1042 Singok-ri, Gongsan-myeon, Naju-si, Jeollanam-do.
[Photo by Jin-Hyung Park]

On the afternoon of the 2nd, Jeollanam-do held a groundbreaking ceremony at the construction site of the 'Namdo Righteous Army History Museum' (1042 Sangok-ri), marking a vigorous start.

The Namdo Righteous Army History Museum was promoted in 2019 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the March 1st Movement and the establishment of the Provisional Government, with the meaning of highlighting not only the righteous army activities before and after the Imjin War but also the righteous army struggles during the late Joseon period.

The total project cost is 42.2 billion KRW, and on a site of 22,369㎡, it will have one basement floor and one above-ground floor, with a total floor area of 6,994㎡, including exhibition halls, storage rooms, research rooms, and experience facilities. It is scheduled to open in December next year.

About 200 people attended the event, including Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeollanam-do; Kim Dae-jung, Superintendent of Jeollanam-do Office of Education; Yoon Byung-tae, Mayor of Naju; Ko Wook, Head of the Gwangju Branch of the Liberation Association; Song In-jung, Head of the Jeollanam-do Branch of the Liberation Association; descendants of righteous army commanders; and local residents.

The pre-ceremony event featured a congratulatory performance by the Provincial Gugak Orchestra, followed by the opening declaration, national anthem, introduction of key guests, progress report, viewing of a promotional video, greetings, safety construction oath, groundbreaking ceremony, and commemorative photo session.

Kim Dae-jung, Superintendent of Jeollanam-do Office of Education, expressed expectations, saying, "If the construction, which started today, proceeds smoothly and opens as scheduled, it will become a pride and landmark of Jeollanam-do as a righteous army history museum representing the Republic of Korea. It will be a valuable place for historical education and experience for our children, the future leaders."

Yoon Byung-tae, Mayor of Naju, promised, "I will actively support so that the history museum becomes a space to honor the loyal spirit of the Namdo righteous army ancestors and a new asset in the era of 100 million tourists in Jeollanam-do through the convergence of nature and culture."

Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeollanam-do, evaluated, "The Honam region has the most active history of righteous army activities and independence movements from the Imjin War through the Korean Empire and the Japanese colonial period. It is especially meaningful that the history museum has broken ground to reexamine the proud history and continue the noble spirit."