President Moon: "Planting a New Century's Dream on a Century of Memories" (Comprehensive)

The 101st Anniversary Ceremony of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, Fulfillment of the Memorial Hall Construction Promise... Chairman Lee Jong-chan Requests "Make the Provisional Government Memorial Hall a Government Institution"

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] President Moon Jae-in has fulfilled his promise to build the National Provisional Government Memorial Hall of the Republic of Korea. The Blue House announced on the 11th, "President Moon Jae-in attended the 101st anniversary ceremony of the establishment of the Republic of Korea Provisional Government and the groundbreaking ceremony of the memorial hall held at Seodaemun Independence Park Eoulshimter at 10 a.m. in Seoul."

President Moon visited the site of the Provisional Government Memorial Hall construction and signed on the exhibition commemorative plaque paper to be used as the cornerstone with a pen, writing, "Planting a new century's dream on a hundred years of memory. 2020. 4. 11 President Moon Jae-in."

President Moon said, "The Republic of Korea Provisional Government is the root that made us who we are today. It is the legal tradition and spirit of the Republic of Korea," adding, "On the 101st anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Korea Provisional Government today, I am very moved to finally hold the groundbreaking ceremony along with the commemoration."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Moon said, "Seok-o Lee Dong-nyeong, the greatest elder of the Provisional Government, left the motto 'Water droplets falling from the mountain pierce the rock' (山溜穿石)," and evaluated, "At the foundation of the noble patriotism that did not yield to adversity was the belief and love for the courage shown by ordinary people, and the greatness of humans who boldly confronted injustice."

Although the Republic of Korea Provisional Government was a sovereign state with a parliament, military, and diplomatic activities after April 11, 1919, it had no proper home for 27 years as a nation on the road. President Moon promised in his Liberation Day speech on August 15, 2017, "To build a Provisional Government Memorial Hall so that descendants can remember the merits of the independence movement."

The Blue House explained, "Today, on the 101st anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Korea Provisional Government, the groundbreaking of the National Republic of Korea Provisional Government Memorial Hall, the 'House of Hope' after a hundred years, was declared." The Provisional Government Memorial Hall is planned to be built as a space not for a specific hero but for all who participated in independence, a space of integration and harmony regardless of ideology, status, social class, or gender, and a proud historical experience space focusing on overcoming the nation's suffering rather than the suffering itself.

Kim Ja-dong, chairman of the Republic of Korea Provisional Government Memorial Project Association, said, "We carried out the movement to build the Provisional Government Memorial Hall to resolve the grievance of the Provisional Government, which did not have its own house, and today, I have resolved a lifelong grievance." Lee Jong-chan, chairman of the Provisional Government Memorial Hall Construction Committee, said, "We will build an integrated memorial hall embracing from the first president of the Provisional Government, Syngman Rhee, to the deputy commander of the Liberation Army, Kim Won-bong."

President Moon said, "The care and respect for national merit recipients and their families who dedicated themselves to 'independence, national defense, and democracy' is a measure of the nation's existence value and dignity," and pledged, "The government will fulfill its duty so that national merit recipients and their families can feel pride in their daily lives."

The ceremony was hosted by KBS announcer Yoon Soo-young under the theme "Building Hope for a New Century," held in a space symbolizing the past and future of our history, facing Seodaemun Prison and the construction site of the National Provisional Government Memorial Hall.

Following social distancing guidelines for COVID-19, the event scale was reduced. About 100 people attended, including five branches of government officials, party leaders, cabinet members, Provisional Government officials, independence patriots, and their descendants.

The ceremony began with the Ministry of National Defense Military Band's vocal ensemble singing the "National Flag Song," an independence army song sung by the Liberation Army during flag-raising. The independence movement Taegeukgi flag entered together during the performance. Two active-duty soldiers, descendants of the Liberation Army, raised the Taegeukgi flag and led the national anthem, adding significance to the ceremony. Kim Won-ung, chairman of the Liberation Association, and Jeong Go-eun, a high school student and descendant of Yoon Gi-seop, chairman of the Provisional Assembly, read the Republic of Korea Provisional Charter and Article 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, the National Republic of Korea Provisional Government Memorial Hall will begin construction today, aiming for completion and opening by the end of 2021 during President Moon's term. President Moon, who visited the construction site, participated in the soil-mixing process with event officials.

The mixed soil included soil labeled "Seoul April 19 Origin," "Gwangju May 18 Square," "Imjingak," "Seoul Tapgol Park," "Min-guk," "Dae-han," "Hallasan," "Ulleungdo," "Daegu National Debt Repayment Movement," and "Yeonpyeongdo." President Moon stood in front of the soil container labeled "Dae-han," and First Lady Kim Jung-sook stood in front of the container labeled "Min-guk," participating in the event.

Lee Jong-chan, chairman of the construction committee, explained, "There are cases where it is made as a government institution and cases where it is incorporated, but I requested President Moon to make the memorial hall a government institution," adding, "The current National Museum of Korean Contemporary History and others are all government institutions. So, for fairness, we asked to make ours a government institution as well."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.