To mark the 80th anniversary of Liberation this year, Gyeonggi Province will publicly unveil for the first time the calligraphy work of Ahn Junggeun, which holds the value of a national treasure. The piece, titled "Jangtanilseong Seonjoilbon" (A Long Sigh, Mourning Japan in Advance), will be presented to the public.
On December 17, Gyeonggi Province announced that it will hold a special exhibition titled "Eastern Patriot, Ahn Junggeun - Unification Is Independence" at the Donation Hall of the Gyeonggi Provincial Museum from December 20 of this year until April 5 of next year, focusing on the life and legacy of Ahn Junggeun.
The opening ceremony for the special exhibition will take place at 4:30 p.m. on December 20 at the Art Hall of the Gyeonggi Provincial Museum. On the same day, Gyeonggi Province will also host the "Ahn Junggeun Unification and Peace Forum."
Calligraphy works, known as "Yumuk," refer to writings, paintings, or brush calligraphy created by a person during their lifetime. The term is often used to denote the handwriting of historically significant figures.
The Ahn Junggeun calligraphy being unveiled is titled "Jangtanilseong Seonjoilbon," which expresses a deep and loud sigh, symbolizing a preemptive mourning for the downfall of Japan.
This work was presented by Ahn Junggeun to a high-ranking official of the Imperial Japanese Kwantung Governor-General (who oversaw the Lushun Prison and court), and it was subsequently kept by the official's descendants.
The piece is regarded as embodying Ahn Junggeun's unwavering spirit, historical perspective, and worldview, even in the face of death. This calligraphy has never before entered Korea.
Recently, Gyeonggi Province successfully negotiated with a Japanese holder to bring "Jangtanilseong Seonjoilbon" into Korea.
Gyeonggi Provincial Museum will hold a "Special Exhibition of Independence Activist Ahn Junggeun" starting from the 20th of this month to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Liberation. Photo by Gyeonggi Province
Previously, on August 15, Governor Kim Dongyeon of Gyeonggi Province stated in his Liberation Day address, "We have joined forces with the Gyeonggi branch of the Liberation Association to secure the calligraphy long held in Japan. As a result, 'Jangtanilseong Seonjoilbon' has been brought into Korea, and 'independence' will also return to the embrace of our homeland."
Gyeonggi Province organized this exhibition to reflect on the contemporary significance of Ahn Junggeun's spirit together with residents, in this meaningful year marking the 80th anniversary of Liberation. The special exhibition will present the ideas, philosophy, and traces of the independence movement of Ahn Junggeun, who lived during the era of imperialism, through a diverse range of displays.
The exhibition is structured into three parts: Part 1, "Independence from the Tsunami of Imperialism and Subservience"; Part 2, "The War of Independence and the Dream of Peace in the East"; and Part 3, "Korea-Japan Relations, Liberation, and the Division of the Peninsula." Admission is free.
Park Raehyuk, Director-General of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "This exhibition is a meaningful event commemorating the 80th anniversary of Liberation, and at the same time, it marks the first step in connecting the noble intentions of Ahn Junggeun to today's discourse on peace and unification. Gyeonggi Province will continue to steadfastly pursue cultural policies that inherit our history and spirit."
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