Chinese Media: "Closure of An Jung-geun and Yun Dong-ju Facilities for Repairs"

Chinese Researcher: "Routine Procedure... Should Not Provoke Anger"
Professor Seo Kyung-duk Claims "Closure to Prevent Distortion"

As news spread that the exhibition hall of An Jung-geun and the birthplace of poet Yun Dong-ju in China have been closed, controversy has grown, and Chinese state media has issued an explanation stating it is a "temporary closure for repairs."

On the 8th (local time), the Global Times, the English-language affiliate of the Chinese state media 'People's Daily,' reported, "We confirmed from officials of the two historic sites that they have temporarily closed for repairs."

According to the media, the reason for suspending the operation of Yun Dong-ju's birthplace in China is that one of the buildings is at risk of collapse and requires repairs. Additionally, the An Jung-geun exhibition hall was also closed along with other exhibition halls due to leakage issues.

Regarding this, L? Chao, a researcher at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the media, "This is a common repair that any museum would undertake," and pointed out, "There are people who deliberately interpret this to provoke anger against China."

The marker stone at the birthplace of poet Yun Dong-ju in Longjing, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province, China [Image source=Seo Kyung-deok Facebook]

He also emphasized, "China respects the patriotic actions of An Jung-geun and Yun Dong-ju, and this respect does not change."

Earlier, Chinese authorities suspended the operation of Yun Dong-ju's birthplace around the 10th of last month. The An Jung-geun exhibition hall inside the L?shun Prison Museum has also been temporarily closed for nearly two months. The media cited renovation work as the reason for closing the two facilities, but no specific reopening date has been announced.

In response, Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women's University claimed on the 8th that the Chinese side closed the facility out of concern that historical distortions related to Yun Dong-ju's nationality might be revealed.

The Global Times introduced An Jung-geun as a Korean fighter who assassinated Japanese Ito Hirobumi at Harbin Station in Manchuria, but described Yun Dong-ju as a "Joseonjok Chinese poet who participated in the independence struggle against Japanese imperialism."

Professor Seo pointed out in a post on his social media account that "There was a major controversy when the large signboard at the entrance of Yun Dong-ju's birthplace engraved him as a 'Chinese Joseonjok patriotic poet,'" and added, "Even Baidu Encyclopedia, China's largest portal, introduces Yun Dong-ju's nationality as 'Chinese' and ethnicity as 'Joseonjok,' continuing persistent distortions."

He further argued, "The closure of Yun Dong-ju's birthplace was expected," and claimed, "With many Koreans expected to visit during the summer vacation season after COVID-19, this measure was taken out of fear that the distortion would become more widely known."

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