Value of National Spirit and Anti-Japanese Heritage Recognized on the 80th Anniversary of Liberation
Maecheon Hwang Hyun Birthplace and Gravesite Designated as Jeollanam-do Monument
Symbolic Site Honoring the Spirit of Resistance and Historical Integrity
Gwangyang City, South Jeolla Province (Mayor Jung Inhwa) announced on August 13 that the "Maecheon Hwang Hyun Birthplace and Gravesite" will be officially designated and announced as a Jeollanam-do Monument (Jeollanam-do Notice No. 2025-325) on August 14.
This designation is part of a cultural heritage project promoted by South Jeolla Province to mark the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation, aiming to establish a sustainable system for the preservation and utilization of anti-Japanese independence heritage imbued with the national spirit.
The city applied for the designation of the "Maecheon Hwang Hyun Birthplace and Gravesite" in March. After an on-site inspection and deliberation by the Heritage Subcommittee of the Jeonnam Cultural Heritage Committee in June, the designation was finalized.
Maecheon Hwang Hyun (1855-1910) was a renowned Confucian scholar, poet, and historian of the late Joseon period. He was an anti-Japanese intellectual who resisted the annexation of Korea in 1910, leaving behind four poems of farewell before taking his own life. His major works, "Maecheon Yarok" and "Ohagimun," are regarded as important historical records of modern Korean history, and his life and philosophy exemplify the spirit of integrity and active engagement of national intellectuals.
The birthplace was restored in 2002 as a traditional wooden thatched-roof house on its original site. The gravesite is a four-generation family grave, including his grandfather, father, Maecheon Hwang Hyun himself, and his son. This site has been highly valued for its historical significance, academic value, and symbolism as a space representing the spirit of resistance.
Mayor Jung Inhwa stated, "The designation of Maecheon Hwang Hyun's birthplace and gravesite as a cultural heritage site of South Jeolla Province officially recognizes its value as a historical space commemorating the spirit of resistance against Japanese rule. We will continue to promote its significance widely to citizens through ongoing management and preservation of this cultural heritage."
Meanwhile, through this South Jeolla Province cultural heritage designation project, eight new heritage sites have been designated: the Maecheon Hwang Hyun Birthplace and Gravesite in Gwangyang, anti-Japanese heritage sites on Geomundo Island in Yeosu, the site and memorial stone of anti-Japanese militia leader Go Gwangsun in Gurye, the anti-Japanese militia site of Mangyeongam in Goheung, the anti-Japanese heritage of Yang Hoeil in Hwasun, the anti-Japanese militia site of Simjeokam in Haenam, letters of Oh Seokgyun in Wando, and Duryudan and rock inscriptions in Shinan.
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