First Comprehensive Survey of Overseas Korean Independence Movement Historic Sites

Fact-finding survey of 1,032 independence movement historic sites to begin next month

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will launch a comprehensive survey next month on 1,032 overseas historic sites of the Korean independence movement scattered across 24 countries, including China, Japan, and the United States. This will be the first full-scale fact-finding survey of overseas independence movement sites.

According to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs on the 25th, the survey will be carried out over three years until 2028 by the Institute for Korean Independence Movement History at the Independence Hall of Korea. In the past, about 60 sites were inspected per year, which created blind spots in management where some sites went more than 10 years without any survey.

In the first year of the survey, which is this year, the ministry plans to investigate 258 independence movement sites, including the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea building in Shanghai, China, the site of patriot Yun Bonggil's bombing operation, and the Tokyo 2·8 Independence Declaration Movement site in Japan. In 2027 and 2028, the ministry plans to survey the remaining 774 sites located across the Americas, Europe, Russia, and Asia. Most overseas independence movement sites are owned by the respective local governments, so there have been limits to active preservation and management depending on each country's political and economic situation and its diplomatic relations with Korea.

Through this comprehensive fact-finding survey, the ministry plans to establish a "local cooperation system for overseas historic sites" based on networks with Korean diplomatic missions abroad, related institutions, and academia, and to build a systematic and sustainable management framework going forward.

In addition, marking the 100th anniversary of the Shanghai Provisional Government building and the 150th anniversary of the birth of Baekbeom Kim Gu this year, the ministry will develop a tour course that links nearby independence movement sites, such as the Yun Bonggil Memorial Hall, with the Shanghai Provisional Government building as a hub, thereby expanding opportunities to experience the history of the independence movement overseas.

By country, China has the largest number of overseas independence movement historic sites with 483, followed by 159 in the United States, 123 in Russia, and 69 in Japan.