Baekbeom Kim Gu's Memorial Address for 'Yu Gwan-sun Martyr' Released... Four Rare Records Restored

Restoration of Materials Enacted in 1947 Commemorating the April 1, 1919 Aunae Independence Movement

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] “The death of martyr Yu Gwan-sun established an immortal and glorious achievement.”

The handwritten eulogy by Baekbeom Kim Gu, commemorating the sacred sacrifice of martyr Yu Gwan-sun, has been restored and made public.

On the 31st, the National Archives of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that it had restored four rare records totaling 99 pages, including the handwritten eulogy for martyr Yu Gwan-sun by Baekbeom Kim Gu, to commemorate the Aunae Independence March (April 1, 1919). The Aunae Independence March was the largest independence movement in the Hoseo region, involving about 3,000 residents, resulting in 19 deaths, with many people, including martyr Yu Gwan-sun, injured or imprisoned.

The restored materials were dedicated at the unveiling of the Aunae Independence March monument on November 27, 1947, and had been preserved at the Yu Gwan-sun Memorial Hall. Through this restoration, the entire “Yu Gwan-sun Biography,” containing various records of martyr Yu Gwan-sun, and a photo of Yu Yedo, Yu Gwan-sun’s cousin and independence activist, were revealed for the first time.

In Kim Gu’s handwritten eulogy, he emphasized that “the death of martyr Yu Gwan-sun established an immortal and glorious achievement,” and expressed the national aspiration to “inherit the spirit of independence of the patriotic martyrs and achieve the complete independence of the homeland.” Also restored was the eulogy by Oh Cheon-seok, then Minister of Education, who described Yu Gwan-sun as “a sacred leader of the nation” and “a bold warrior who led the charge carrying the flag.”

Among these, the approximately 90-page “Yu Gwan-sun Biography” is a handwritten record compiled by Yu Jeman, Yu Gwan-sun’s nephew, who collected various materials. It includes Yu Gwan-sun’s biography, the activities of the martyrs at the time, eulogies from figures such as Lee Si-young, Yu Rim, and Seo Deok-sun, and the script of the film “Yu Gwan-sun” directed by Yoon Bong-chun.

The restored records were completed over about two months starting in January this year, following a customized restoration support request made by the Yu Gwan-sun Memorial Hall to the National Archives in May last year. Kim Gu’s “Eulogy” was in a contaminated state where two sheets of hanji paper were glued together, and the “Yu Gwan-sun Biography” was made of low-quality paper or mulberry paper, showing discoloration, acidification, drying, and tears. Accordingly, the National Archives enhanced preservation by bonding the “Eulogy” with a self-produced neutral adhesive, and for the “Yu Gwan-sun Biography,” they restored the original cover of the low-quality paper, performed manual deacidification, and reinforced missing parts.

Baekbeom Kim Gu’s eulogy will be on display at the Yu Gwan-sun Memorial Hall exhibition from April 1, and the other original records will be made available through e-Museum, a nationwide museum collection search site.

Seo Jeong-wook, head of the Records Preservation Service Department at the National Archives, said, “This work has become an opportunity to once again reflect on the nobility and greatness of the patriotic martyrs who carried out the independence movement for the country’s freedom,” and added, “We will continue to do our best to ensure that important national records are preserved safely and permanently without damage.”

Memorial Address for Teacher Baekbeom Kim Gu

☞ Full Text of Baekbeom Kim Gu’s Eulogy

November 27, Year 29 of the Republic of Korea.

Kim Gu considers it the greatest honor and cannot help but feel deep sorrow to offer a brief eulogy at the dedication ceremony of the Patriotic Martyrs Monument.

The patriotic martyrs fought fiercely against the brutal Japanese invaders to reclaim the lost land and nation, shedding sacred blood and dying for the cause.

The blood they shed was never in vain; rather, it became holy blood and the vital life force for the thirty million people of a devastated nation on the brink of destruction and death.

Thus, the lost land and nation were recovered.

Oh, the noble sacrifice of the martyrs who left an eternal grievance for a thousand autumns?this will shine in history and serve as a lesson for all generations. Especially, the sacred sacrifice and noble death of the maiden martyr Yu Gwan-sun shine like the sun and moon, establishing an immortal and glorious achievement.

We vow and swear on this day to uphold the spirit and will of the martyrs, to strive and struggle to achieve the complete and independent sovereignty of our homeland, so that as a nation we will bear no guilt or shame, and the souls of the patriotic martyrs may rest peacefully in the heavens.

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