'Should the Headstone of Ito Hirobumi's Handwriting at the Bank of Korea Be Removed?' Public Opinion Survey to Be Conducted

Bank of Korea Proposes Three Approaches for Headstone Handling to Cultural Heritage Administration
Opinions Sharply Divided... Cultural Heritage Administration Also Finds Independent Judgment Difficult
Final Decision Expected Early Next Year

The 'Jeongcho (定礎)' inscription on the cornerstone of the Bank of Korea headquarters (Historic Site No. 280), confirmed to have been written by Ito Hirobumi.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Eun-byeol] A public opinion survey is being conducted to decide the fate of the cornerstone of the Bank of Korea Currency Museum (former Joseon Bank headquarters), which bears the handwritten calligraphy of It? Hirobumi. Since there has been significant controversy over how to handle remnants of Japanese colonial rule after liberation, there is a need for social consensus. However, it seems difficult to avoid criticism that the expert group responsible for judging the value, protection, and utilization of cultural assets is postponing decisions on sensitive issues and relying on public opinion.

According to the Bank of Korea and the Cultural Heritage Administration on the 17th, the Cultural Heritage Administration has decided to conduct a public opinion survey within this year regarding the handling method of the Bank of Korea cornerstone and is currently preparing for it. The survey is expected to last about two months, so a final conclusion on the handling method of the cornerstone is expected by early next year.

Initially, the Bank of Korea and the Cultural Heritage Administration had been discussing with the goal of deciding the handling method of the cornerstone within this month. The Cultural Heritage Administration planned to prepare a management plan for the cornerstone after deliberation by the Cultural Heritage Committee on the 24th, based on the Bank of Korea’s opinion. The Bank of Korea also applied for a 'change in cultural property status' through Jung-gu Office on the 13th.

As the owner, the Bank of Korea can express its opinion, but the handling method will be finally decided by the Cultural Heritage Administration after deliberation by the Cultural Heritage Committee. The opinions submitted by the Bank of Korea were mainly ▲removing the cornerstone ▲leaving the cornerstone as is but installing an explanatory sign ▲erasing only the calligraphy on the cornerstone. A Bank of Korea official said, "We thought that the approximately 200 experts on the Cultural Heritage Committee would use their know-how to make a judgment." A Cultural Heritage Administration official said, "Because this is a difficult issue with sharp conflicts, we judged that the Bank of Korea submitted multiple opinions and saw the need for a public opinion survey."

The calligraphy on the cornerstone of the Bank of Korea main building in Jung-gu, Seoul (Historic Site No. 280), which has been controversial, was recently confirmed by the Cultural Heritage Administration’s investigation to be the handwriting of It? Hirobumi, the first Governor-General of the Joseon Governor-Generalship. While some argue that it should be preserved to remember history, some civic groups have demanded its immediate removal and even staged a 'bat performance' protest.

It is not common for the Cultural Heritage Administration to mobilize a public opinion survey regarding the handling of cultural assets. In 2011, a public opinion survey was conducted on changing the signboard of Gwanghwamun to Hangul. The general public responded that they preferred Hangul (58.7%) over Chinese characters (41.3%). However, a public opinion survey does not guarantee a final conclusion. After the survey, public hearings and debates showed a stronger preference for Chinese characters, and ultimately the Cultural Heritage Administration chose to restore the signboard as it appeared in the photograph, not in Chinese characters.

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