Who was independence activist Whang Kee-whan?
100년만에 고국 품에 안긴 황기환 지사 그는 누구인가? It's time for our weekly Arts and Culture segment. Joining me in the studio is our culture correspondent Song Yoo-jin. Welcome, Yoo-jin. Great to be back. What do you have for us today? Jung-min, this week was a very meaningful one in terms of Korean history. Tuesday was the 104th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean Provisional Government. And a day before that, the remains of late independence activist Whang Kee-whan finally made their way back to Korea. For those who may not be familiar with Whang, the hit Korean TV series "Mr. Sunshine" is based on his story. Though he spent more than half of his life overseas, Whang devoted himself to Korea's independence movement during the Japanese colonial period. For this week, I decided to find out more about who Whang Kee-whan was. A long-waited return home. April 10th, 2023, independence activist Whang Kee-whan makes his way back to Korea. Exactly a century has passed since he died. It was in 2008 when a Korean pastor found Whang's grave at a cemetery in New York in 2008. The journey back home was not easy because Whang didn't have any family members to request his reinterment. But the cemetery finally gave the greenlight this January after more than decade-long efforts by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and the Korean Consulate General in New York. Then, who was Whang Kee-whan? "Whang was a real trailblazer for Korea's independence movement in Europe. While there were other activists around, he really stood out for his diplomatic efforts in Paris and London to raise awareness." The struggles he made for his home country can be seen at the National Memorial of the Korean Provisional Government. "Marking the 104th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean Provisional Government, this exhibition in Seoul is showcasing 146 items from independence activists, including a letter, book, and photos from Whang Kee-whan." Whang moved to the United States in 1904, when he was 18 and fought in the American military during World War One. After the war, he moved to Paris and worked for the Korean Provisional Government's delegation in Paris. He wrote books on Korea's fight for independence and how Japan illegitimately took away Korea's sovereignty. One of them is 'Our Business in Europe.' Whang also looked after overseas Koreans. He saved 35 Korean laborers in Russia who were on the verge of being deported to Japan and helped them settle down in France. This is the letter Whang sent to them. Visitors can also take a look into the lives of other independence activists who fought for Korea's independence in China, the U.S., Cuba, and Mexico. "Life abroad was tough. Through this exhibition, we want to show that despite these harsh circumstances, these activists never gave up on their dreams of seeing their homeland free and independent." The exhibition is open everyday except Mondays until July 9th. So much respect for what he did. Yoo-jin, I heard that more items related to Whang Ki-wan have been found beside the ones you showed at the exhibition. Tell us more. While working to bring Whang's remains back home, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs found 11 new documents related to him from the National Archives and Records Administration of the U.S. and the National Library of France. They were unveiled a week before Whang's repatriation. They include a passenger list of those who arrived at the Honolulu port in Hawaii in 1904 and Whang's military registration card during World War One. These documents revealed the exact year of Hwang's arrival in Hawaii and his date of birth. There were also French newspaper articles about Whang. One of them was written after Whang's death in 1923 and evaluates him as "a hero who devoted his all to liberating his small homeland." And before we let you go Yoo-jin, tell us about the significance this repatriation has. The Korean government has been working to bring back the remains of overseas independence activists since 1946, a year after Korea's independence from Japan. As of 2017, the remains of about 4-hundred-85 activists were still overseas. The remains of a little more than 1-hundred-40 people, including those of Whang Kee-whan, have been brought back to Korea. There's still quite a long way to go, but experts say this is something we must keep on doing. We certainly must. Alright, Thank you Yoo-jin. Thank you. #Independence_activist #WhangKeewhan #황기환 #미스터션샤인 #Arirang_News 📣 Facebook : / arirangtvnews 📣 Twitter : / arirangtvnews 📣 Homepage : https://v2.arirang.com/ 2023-04-14, 18:00 (KST)
