Changwon's Representative Independence Activist 'Pastor Ju Gi-cheol' Memorial Hall Designated as National Veterans Affairs Agency Memorial Facility

The Memorial Hall of Pastor Ju Gi-cheol, an independence activist, located at 174 Ungdong-ro, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam [Image source=Changwon-si]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] Changwon City, Gyeongnam Province announced on the 9th that the 'Pastor Ju Gi-cheol Memorial Hall,' honoring the anti-Japanese independence activist Pastor Ju Gi-cheol, was designated as a national patriotic memorial facility by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs on the 1st.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs' patriotic memorial facilities are buildings, sculptures, or historic sites recognized as having significant value in fostering patriotism among the public by honoring the merits and spirit of sacrifice of national heroes.

The memorial hall was established in March 2015 in the hometown of Pastor Ju Gi-cheol (1897?1944), the Ungcheon area (174 Ungcheon-dong-ro, Jinhae-gu), to honor him for refusing to participate in shrine worship during the Japanese colonial period and leading anti-Japanese movements before dying in prison.

The first floor is equipped with exhibition facilities and a video room, while the second floor houses exhibition rooms and an archive. It displays over 100 relics preserved by the church he served, including the hanbok he wore before his martyrdom and photographs from his lifetime, along with an introduction to his life.

The city plans to install a sign indicating the memorial hall's status as a patriotic memorial facility and will do its utmost to revitalize the site by regularly inspecting and reinforcing the facility.

An Ik-tae, Director of the City Tourism Department, said, "Pastor Ju, who resisted Japan's shrine worship, is one of our region's representative independence activists awarded the Order of Independence Merit. It is fortunate that a facility honoring him has now been designated as a national patriotic memorial. We will do our best to manage and promote the memorial facility so as not to dishonor the pastor's noble spirit."

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