Anti-Japanese Heritage Revived for the 80th Anniversary of Liberation

Exhibition Showcases Conservation Process at Deoksugung from September 16 to 21
Highlighting the Restoration of Artifacts such as the "Collection of Liberation Army Songs"

The Cultural Heritage Conservation Science Center of the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage will hold a special exhibition titled "Heritage of Memory, Permeated by Light" at Deokhongjeon Hall in Deoksugung Palace, Seoul, from September 16 to 21 to mark the 80th anniversary of Liberation.

Preserved Draft of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea Founding Principles [Photo by National Heritage Administration]

This exhibition presents videos and photographs showing how symbolic artifacts of Liberation and the independence movement have been revived through conservation treatment. It highlights the restoration process of items such as independence activist Cho Soang's "Draft of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea Founding Principles," the "Collection of Liberation Army Songs" published by the Korean Liberation Army Propaganda Committee, the "Patriotic Songbook" containing anti-Japanese songs, and the "Declaration of Great Unity," which called for the establishment of the Provisional Government.

Visitors can also observe the conservation process of items including the "Jang Hyogeun Diary," which was recorded daily from 1916 until Liberation in 1945, materials related to "Hunmaengjeongeum" in Korean braille, the medical gown of independence activist Seo Jaepil, and the suit worn by a Confucian scholar who participated in the anti-Japanese movement.

There will also be hands-on programs available. From September 17 to 21, Taegukgi mobile and Neunghwamun traditional book-making sessions will be held three times a day. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis through the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage website. Neunghwamun refers to a traditional pattern engraved on the covers of old books.

A representative from the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage stated, "This is a meaningful opportunity to share anti-Japanese heritage, restored through conservation, with the public," and added, "We will continue to dedicate ourselves to preserving and utilizing materials of historical value in the future."