"Overcoming Ideological Differences Between South and North with the Spirit of the Anti-Japanese Independence War 100 Years Ago"

The Committee for the Five Provinces of North Korea Opens Special Photo Exhibition for the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Bongodong

Lee Myung-woo, Chairman of the North Korea Five Provinces Committee, is delivering a greeting at the opening ceremony of the "North Korea Provincial Residents' Historical Records and Inter-Korean Connection Education Touring Performance" held in the front yard of the North Korea Five Provinces Office in Gugidong, Seoul, on the 4th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Ministry of the Interior and Safety's Committee for the Five Northern Provinces (Chairman and Pyeongnam Governor Lee Myung-woo) held the opening ceremony of the special photo exhibition "Korean Independence! The Battle of Bongodong for That Day" on the 4th in the front yard of the Five Northern Provinces Office in Gugidong, Seoul, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Bongodong.

The opening ceremony was held outdoors to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and the number of attendees was minimized to include the governors of the Five Northern Provinces, heads of residents' associations, honorary mayors and county heads. The event proceeded in the order of a Janggeommu (traditional sword dance) pre-performance, a greeting by Lee Myung-woo, chairman of the Five Northern Provinces Committee, a congratulatory speech by Hwang Won-seop, vice chairman of the General Hong Beom-do Memorial Association, a special lecture by the Nam-Buk Connection Academy, and a tape-cutting ceremony.

In his commemorative speech, Chairman Lee said, "The Battles of Bongodong and Cheongsanri were the first formal victories of our united independence army forces, achieved ten years after the country was seized by Japan in 1910. These victories hold a historically significant place in the history of the independence war," adding, "It was not just a simple independence battle but an independence war waged by the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea against the Japanese Empire."

He explained the reason why the Five Northern Provinces Committee and the Northern Provinces residents' community meaningfully commemorate the 100th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Bongodong, saying, "General Hong Beom-do, the hero of the victory, was from Pyeongnam in the northern provinces. From 1907, he actively led independence army activities by organizing mountain marksmen in Samsu and Gapsan in Hamnam and Bukcheong, demonstrating outstanding leadership."

Referring to President Moon Jae-in's recent March 1st Independence Movement Day speech, he also proposed overcoming ideological differences between the South and North with the spirit of the independence war of previous generations.

The chairman emphasized, "President Moon also highly praised General Hong Beom-do's achievements in the Battle of Bongodong and stated his intention to bring General Hong, who rests in Kazakhstan, back to the homeland within this year. It is time for the residents of the northern provinces to take the lead in overcoming ideological differences between South and North with the spirit of the independence war against Japanese imperialism, achieving peace unification where liberal democracy, market economy, and universal human values can be realized, and continuing the historical legitimacy of the Korean people."

Following the commemorative ceremony, the special lecture by the Nam-Buk Connection Academy featured Dr. Jang Se-yoon, senior researcher at the Northeast Asian History Foundation, and former Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Kim Young-jin, who revisited the significance of the 100th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Bongodong under the themes "The Independence Army's Battles of Bongodong and Cheongsanri and General Hong Beom-do" and "The March 1st Movement as a Heritage of Humanity," respectively.

Meanwhile, this exhibition was made possible by the provision of photos from Kim Jae-hong, governor of Hamgyeongbuk-do and great-grandson of Gyuam Kim Yak-yeon, who pioneered Myeongdong Village in Bukgando, the birthplace of modern culture in Northern Gando and a base for anti-Japanese independence movements.

The committee stated, "This exhibition will be a very useful and meaningful resource not only for Korean independence movement history but also for the migration history of Northern Gando."

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