The Train Sounds in Front of Andong Imcheonggak, the Site of Japanese Colonial Era's Eradication of National Spirit, Have Stopped Again

Relocation of Tracks in Front of Imcheonggak Due to Double-Track Electrification Project on the Jungang Line
State Councilor Lee Sang-ryong Memorial Association Holds Ceremony Marking End of Train Operation
Gyeongbuk Province and Cultural Heritage A

The 'Train Operation Completion Commemoration Event' held on the 17th in front of Imcheonggak in Andong, hosted by the 'State Councilor Lee Sang-ryong Memorial Association'.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Jae-ho] At 7:36 PM on the 16th, Mugunghwa train No. 1681 bound from Donghae to Bujeon passed in front of Imcheonggak (臨淸閣), the 'holy site of the independence movement' in Andong, Gyeongbuk.

On this train were descendants of Seokju Lee Sang-ryong, the first State Councilor (equivalent to today's Prime Minister) of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea?namely Lee Chang-su and Lee Hang-jeung?and Kim Ho-tae, Secretary General of the 'State Councilor Lee Sang-ryong Memorial Association,' who recorded the final operation of the train.

The next day, at noon on the 17th, the 'State Councilor Lee Sang-ryong Memorial Association' (Chairman Lee Jong-ju) hosted the 'Train Operation Completion Event in front of Imcheonggak' to commemorate the history of the independence movement at Imcheonggak, conducting performances such as the removal of soundproof walls and celebratory gunfire.

The event was attended by Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province; Jung Jae-sook, Administrator of the Cultural Heritage Administration; Kwon Young-se, Mayor of Andong; and heads of various institutions and social organizations, demonstrating the local community's interest in Imcheonggak.

Andong Imcheonggak (Treasure No. 182) is the birthplace of Seokju Lee Sang-ryong, the first State Councilor of the Provisional Government, and is a symbolic space representing the Korean independence movement, having produced 11 independence activists over three generations.

For this reason, it was labeled as the house of 'Bully Korean' (불령선인, 不逞鮮人), and as part of Japan's policy to eradicate the spirit of the Korean people, a railway was constructed across the yard of Imcheonggak in 1942, forcibly damaging the site?a painful chapter in history. In 2016, then-presidential candidate Moon Jae-in visited Imcheonggak, and in his 2017 Liberation Day speech, he pledged its complete restoration.

After historical trials and tribulations, Imcheonggak is set to regain its original appearance with the removal of the existing railway as part of the Jungang Line double-track electrification project.

Gyeongbuk Province, together with the Cultural Heritage Administration and Andong City, plans to invest a total of 28 billion KRW by 2025 as a core project commemorating the 100th anniversary of the March 1st Movement and the establishment of the Provisional Government, to renovate the area around Imcheonggak and build a historical and cultural sharing center.

Governor Lee Cheol-woo affirmed the commitment to full restoration, stating, "Imcheonggak, once a holy site of the independence movement, will be reborn as a symbolic space of patriotism and filial piety through the railway relocation and restoration project, becoming a place to unite the national will to overcome crises."

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