China, which claimed "Yun Dong-ju has Chinese nationality," also closed his birthplace

Closure of the Ahn Jung-geun Exhibition Hall Earlier

With Liberation Day approaching on the 15th, China has closed the birthplace of the poet Yun Dong-ju (1917?1945) from the Japanese colonial period, following the An Jung-geun exhibition room in the Lushun Prison Museum, which had sparked controversy over nationality designation.

The local authorities have only stated that the closure is for internal repairs, without mentioning specific reasons for the closure or the reopening date.

A color-restored image of poet Yoon Dong-ju is being displayed on the exterior wall of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History at Gwanghwamun Square, Jongno-gu, Seoul, one day before the March 1st Movement Day.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

According to the Korean Consulate General in Shenyang and local Korean residents on the 4th, Yun Dong-ju's birthplace in Longjing (龍井), Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province, has been closed since around the 10th of last month.

Earlier, on June 29, Consul General Choi Hee-deok visited the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture and met simultaneously with the top two officials of the provincial government, the Communist Party Secretary and the Governor, and then visited the birthplace of poet Yun Dong-ju, according to the Consulate General in Shenyang.

It appears that Yun Dong-ju's birthplace was closed shortly after Consul General Choi's visit.

There are suggestions that the deteriorated relations between Korea and China influenced this closure.

It is also speculated that this measure might be aimed at preventing renewed disputes over Yun Dong-ju's nationality designation, as the number of Korean tourists visiting his birthplace increases during the summer vacation season in August.

Introducing Yun Dong-ju as a 'Chinese Joseonjok patriotic poet' on Baidu
[Photo by Baidu Encyclopedia capture]

The birthplace of poet Yun Dong-ju is where the Republic of Korea's independence activist and national poet Yun Dong-ju was born and lived until the age of 15. Koreans visiting Yanbian often seek out the room where he studied as a child and the room where he wrote poems during vacations, making it a must-visit tourist spot.

In addition to the preserved rooms, there is also the Yun Dong-ju Exhibition Hall, which displays original manuscripts and copies of poetry collections left by Yun Dong-ju.

The inscription on the plaque next to the main gate of Yun Dong-ju's birthplace reads "Chinese Korean Ethnic Patriot Poet."

This plaque became controversial after Chinese authorities restored the birthplace in 2012 and installed it. The Chinese portal Baidu Encyclopedia also lists Yun Dong-ju's nationality as "Chinese" and ethnicity as "Korean ethnic minority."

Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women's University protested this issue in 2021, and the Korean government also requested China to correct it, but the request has not been accepted.

The "International Martyrs Exhibition Room," known as the An Jung-geun exhibition room within the Lushun Japanese-Russian Prison Site Museum in Dalian, Liaoning Province, has also been closed for over two months due to renovation work.

Established in 2009 with permission from Chinese authorities by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (now the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs), this exhibition room contains a bust of An Jung-geun, his prison writings, and materials showcasing the activities of 11 independence activists, including Danjae Shin Chae-ho and Udang Lee Hoe-young, who were imprisoned and died in Lushun Prison.

An Jung-geun Exhibition Room inside the Lushun Prison Museum
Photo by Yonhap News

The closure of this exhibition room coincided with the end of April, after President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed opposition to unilateral changes in the Taiwan Strait, which provoked strong backlash from China.

At that time, the Chinese government summoned the charg? d'affaires of the Korean Embassy in China to strongly protest the joint statement by the leaders of South Korea and the United States that mentioned the Taiwan Strait.

Consequently, there are also claims that the closure was influenced by the Korea-China relationship. However, the An Jung-geun Memorial Hall in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, is operating normally.

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