"Suwun-gyo Samcheon Daecheon Segyedo" Registered as National Cultural Heritage
The footsteps of independence activist Seo Young-hae, who served as a diplomatic envoy for the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea during the Japanese colonial period, will become a nationally registered cultural heritage.
Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Korea published in Paris (left) and a letter Seo Young-hae sent to Baekbeom Kim Gu
The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on the 17th that it plans to register the 'Materials related to independence activist Seo Young-hae' as a nationally registered cultural heritage. They intend to collect opinions from various sectors for a month and finalize the registration after a review by the Cultural Heritage Committee.
Seo Young-hae (real name Seo Hee-su) was a leading figure in the independence movement in Europe. He worked as a diplomatic envoy for the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea at organizations such as the Goryeo News Agency, established in Paris, France in 1929, and exposed Japan's aggression in Europe. After liberation, he returned to Korea and participated in inter-Korean negotiations but, feeling skeptical about the establishment of a South Korean-only government, he returned to France.
The materials scheduled for registration include documents related to the Goryeo News Agency that demonstrate independence propaganda activities, letters and communications exchanged with key figures of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, writings authored by Seo Young-hae (novels, essays, articles), and personal belongings such as a typewriter. The Cultural Heritage Administration explained, "These are valuable materials that confirm traces of diplomatic activities carried out for independence as a member of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea."
Meanwhile, on the same day, the Cultural Heritage Administration registered the 'Suwun-gyo Samcheon Daecheon Segyedo' as a nationally registered cultural heritage. It is a painting containing the teachings of Suwun-gyo, a Korean ethnic religion. Created in 1929, it borrowed the form of the Buddhist Sumi Segyedo (a religious painting expressing the Buddhist cosmology centered on Mount Sumeru) to depict Suwun-gyo's cosmology and worldview. The production techniques and expressive styles were evaluated as well reflecting the modern painting style of the period.
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