Unpublished "Nokjuk" Calligraphy by An Junggeun Repatriated from Japan, Purchased by Koo Hyejung of the LS Family

"I Want to Share the Noble Spirit of An Junggeun"
Sold for 940 Million Won at Seoul Auction

The unpublished calligraphy work "Nokjuk" (Green Bamboo) by An Junggeun, which was offered by a Japanese collector, has been won at auction by Koo Hyejung, the second daughter of the late Koo Taehoe, Honorary Chairman of LS Cable & System.

The calligraphy, which has been repatriated from Japan, is expected to be entrusted to public institutions such as the National Museum, where it will be used for academic research and made available for public viewing.

According to Taein on April 23, An Junggeun’s calligraphy "Nokjuk" was auctioned at Seoul Auction on April 22 and was won by Mrs. Koo for 940 million won. The repatriated work features a phrase from "Chugu," a collection of five-character poems that have been orally transmitted since ancient times.

Mrs. Koo Hyejung won the bid for the unpublished calligraphy work "Nokjuk (Green Bamboo)" by An Junggeun. Taein

This phrase, which symbolizes An Junggeun’s unwavering integrity and spirit in the face of his execution in February 1920, is known to have been deeply cherished by An, who left it in several calligraphy works during his lifetime.

Mrs. Koo stated, "I acquired this calligraphy out of a desire to share An Junggeun’s noble spirit with more people," adding, "I am considering ways to entrust the work to public institutions such as the National Museum so that it can be used for academic research and so that more citizens can experience An Junggeun’s calligraphy up close."

Previously, Mrs. Koo’s husband, Lee Injeong, President of the Asian Mountaineering Federation, also won the bid for An Junggeun’s calligraphy "Iltongcheonghwagong" and entrusted it to the Jangseogak Archives at the Academy of Korean Studies, a national institution. That work has since been designated as a national treasure.

Koo Hyejung’s second son, Lee Sanghyun, who is the CEO of Taein and a third-generation member of the LS Group, is also honoring An Junggeun’s noble spirit in various ways. As a board member of the An Junggeun Memorial Association, Lee donated stamps, postcards, and medals related to An Junggeun in 2018. Last month, to mark the 115th anniversary of An Junggeun’s martyrdom, he publicly revealed for the first time a Japanese postal card featuring both An Junggeun and Ito Hirobumi.

Furthermore, in July of last year, he unveiled all 12 types of banknotes from the First National Bank of Japan, which An Junggeun identified as one of Ito Hirobumi’s "15 crimes," thereby widely promoting An Junggeun’s noble cause through the collection, preservation, and exhibition of historical materials.