Records Reflecting the Will of Hansen's Disease Patients Designated as Cultural Heritage

'Petition and Statement on the April 6 Incident' and 'Artifacts from Noksan Medical Training Center'
'Seoul Jingwansa Temple Hanging Scroll' Reflecting Modern Expression Techniques Also Included

Petition and Statement on the April 6 Incident in Sorokdo, Goheung

Records of the Sorokdo 4·6 Incident will be preserved as cultural heritage.

The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on the 3rd that the "Petition and Statement of the Goheung Sorokdo 4·6 Incident" and "Artifacts from the Noksan Medical Training Center in Goheung Sorokdo" have been registered as cultural heritage.

The Petition and Statement of the Goheung Sorokdo 4·6 Incident are records containing the voices of freedom and human rights raised by the inmates of Sorokdo Rehabilitation Center (now National Sorokdo Hospital) against injustice and human rights violations. The Sorokdo 4·6 Incident was a large-scale protest that occurred in the early 1950s due to an increase in inmates and a decrease in relief supplies caused by the war. The inmates opposed the coercive and authoritarian management system of Director Kim Sang-tae of the Rehabilitation Center and demanded his dismissal.

The inmates detailed the inhumane conditions on Sorokdo and Director Kim’s misconduct in the petition and statement. The Cultural Heritage Administration explained, "It informs about the progress and details of the Sorokdo 4·6 Incident," and added, "It holds significant value as an artifact containing the voices of Hansen’s disease patients who called for freedom and human rights."

Artifacts from Noksan Medical Training Center in Sorokdo, Goheung

The artifacts from the Noksan Medical Training Center in Goheung Sorokdo are operational records of the Noksan Medical Training Center (1949?1961), which trained patients as medical personnel on Sorokdo, where medical staff were scarce. The collection includes a stethoscope, anatomy books, and two certificates of completion. The stethoscope was given to the first batch of graduates.

The Cultural Heritage Administration stated, "Medical personnel who graduated from the Noksan Medical Training Center were trusted figures who did not discriminate against or neglect Hansen’s disease patients," and explained, "It points to Sorokdo’s unique medical education system and self-reliance efforts, which are difficult to find anywhere else in the world."

The recent cultural heritage designation also includes the "Large Buddhist Painting and Its Case from Jingwansa Temple in Seoul." This is a large Buddhist painting used in the Suukjae ritual at Jingwansa Temple, a national intangible cultural heritage. It was created in 1935 by five painters including Ilseop (1900?1975) and enshrined at Samgaksa Temple in Samgaksan. Since the 1960s, it has been kept at Jingwansa Temple in Seoul.

Light and Shadow Expression of the Hanging Buddhist Banner and Hanging Banner Box Owned by Jingwansa Temple in Seoul

This painting is in the form of an Ojon-do (Five Venerables Painting), placing the principal Buddha in the center with attendant bodhisattvas on the left and right, and behind them the Buddha’s disciples, Kassapa and Ananda. The faces, bodies, and folds of the robes of the figures use chiaroscuro to express three-dimensionality and spatial depth. The Cultural Heritage Administration praised it as "a high-quality work that actively reflects new expression techniques of the modern period," and noted, "The authenticity is confirmed by records of the production year, creator, and donors."

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