First Visit by Seoul Mayor... Gratitude to Patriotic Martyrs
Meeting with Descendants of Independence Patriots... Promise of 'Veterans Administration'
Expansion of Policy and Human Exchange with Sister City Chongqing
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, on his first official schedule during his business trip to China, visited the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea office located in Chongqing and stated, "We will uphold the honor and pride of the patriots."
On the afternoon of the 28th (local time), Mayor Oh visited the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea office located in Yeonhwaji, Chongqing, paid silent tribute in front of the bust of Baekbeom Kim Gu, and laid flowers to express gratitude for the noble sacrifice and dedication of the patriotic pioneers who devoted themselves to the independence of the homeland. This is the first time a Seoul mayor has visited the Chongqing Provisional Government office.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and descendants of independence activists (from left: Lee So-sim, Yoo Soo-dong, Kim Yeon-ryeong) [Photo by Seoul Metropolitan Government]
The Chongqing Provisional Government office was the last office used during the Japanese colonial period. Among the remaining provisional government offices across various regions, it is the largest in scale. On a 1,300㎡ site, the building area is 1,770㎡, with an exhibition space of 284㎡, displaying historical materials such as records of meetings between Chairman Kim Gu and Chiang Kai-shek, the Independence Newspaper, and materials related to the Liberation Army.
At the site, Mayor Oh held a meeting with descendants of independence patriots in the conference room within the office, expressing gratitude to the descendants and the efforts of Chongqing city for the operation and preservation of the Provisional Government office. Especially at this meeting, he promised, "We will uphold the honor and pride of the patriots," and "We will implement veteran affairs policies that respect their dignity."
Since taking office, Seoul City has been expanding the scope and scale of veteran support to strengthen the treatment of national patriots. In 2022, the veteran honor allowance paid to surviving patriots was increased from 200,000 KRW to 1,000,000 KRW per month. Last year, the living assistance allowance paid to national patriots themselves or their primary surviving family members who are basic livelihood security recipients or in the lower-income bracket was raised from 100,000 KRW to 200,000 KRW per month, and this year, the war participation honor allowance was increased from 100,000 KRW to 150,000 KRW per month.
On the same day, Mayor Oh also visited the Chongqing Urban Planning Exhibition Hall in Chongqing, one of China's four direct-controlled municipalities and a popular tourist destination, to observe the waterfront development and the process of creating nighttime attractions. The 'Chongqing Urban Planning Exhibition Hall' is a place where one can see the city's development process and future plans at a glance, consisting of a total of 10 exhibition halls including the History and Culture Hall, Advanced Science Hall, and Urban Planning Hall.
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