'The Cradle of Uibyeong History' Groundbreaking for Namdo Uibyeong History Museum Construction

Jeonnam Province-Naju City to Hold Museum Groundbreaking Ceremony on the 2nd

The 'Namdo Uibyung History Museum,' which honors the noble spirit of the Honam militia patriots who led the national salvation against foreign invasions, has broken ground with the goal of completion by the end of 2025.

Naju City announced on the 2nd that the groundbreaking ceremony for the Namdo Uibyung History Museum was held at the construction site in Gongsan-myeon, hosted by Jeollanam-do.

The ceremony was attended by Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeollanam-do; Yoon Byung-tae, Mayor of Naju; Kim Dae-jung, Superintendent of Education; Lee Sang-man, Chairman of the City Council; local provincial and city council members; Kim Soo-hong, Chairman of Aju Construction; and about 300 local residents.

Notably, the event was further enriched by the presence of militia-related organization leaders and descendants, including Kim Nam-jeon, Honorary Chairman of the Eonyang Kim Clan Association and descendant of militia leader Kim Cheon-il; Song In-jeong, Head of the Jeonnam Branch of the Liberation Association; Ko Uk, Head of the Gwangju Branch; Choi Young-gap, President of the Sungkyunkwan Confucianism Association Headquarters; Kwak Young-kyung, Head of the Jeonnam Branch of the Korea Uibyung Memorial Project Federation; and Kim Gap-je, Chairman of the Late Joseon Honam Uibyung Memorial Project Association.

The Namdo Uibyung History Museum is a key project of Jeollanam-do, initiated after Governor Kim Young-rok took office in the 7th local government administration in 2019.

Marking the 100th anniversary of the March 1st Movement and the establishment of the Provisional Government, the project aims to create a space honoring the spirits of militia fighters who fought during the Imjin War and the late Joseon period, alongside the history of the independence movement, thereby fostering pride among the residents of the province.

In July 2020, Naju City was selected as the top candidate for the museum site through a public contest held by Jeollanam-do.

Since March 2021, the city has operated the Namdo Uibyung History Park Promotion Support Group and the Uibyung Museum Construction Support Task Force to facilitate administrative procedures such as land acquisition and removal of obstacles for smooth museum construction.

Additionally, the city has focused on building community consensus on the necessity and significance of the museum through resident briefings in towns and villages, on-site meetings, and discussions with citizens and experts.

The museum will be built with a total project cost of 42.2 billion KRW (40% from balanced national subsidies, 30% from provincial funds, and 30% from city funds), covering a site area of 22,396 square meters and a total floor area of 6,993 square meters, consisting of one basement floor and one above-ground floor, scheduled for completion by the end of 2025.

The facility will include exhibition halls for militia-related artifacts, storage rooms, research offices, and educational and experiential facilities.

Starting from the Eulmyo Waebyeon (1555), the first militia activity in Joseon, through the Imjin War (1592?1598), the Jeongyu War (1597?1598), and extending to the modern period militia patriots who resisted events such as the Eulmi Incident (1895), the Eulsa Treaty (1905), and the Jeongmi Treaty (1907), the museum will honor their noble spirits based on records and artifacts of their activities.

According to Jeollanam-do, 2,943 militia artifacts have been collected so far, and efforts will continue to secure more militia-related relics.

The groundbreaking ceremony began with a congratulatory performance by the Provincial Gugak Orchestra, followed by a report on major progress, a promotional video screening, welcoming and congratulatory speeches, a safety construction pledge, and the groundbreaking ritual.

Naju City expects that the museum will actively promote the city’s reputation as the 'City of Righteousness' that produced the most national salvation militias in Honam, boost local pride, and significantly contribute to tourism revitalization through linkage projects with the Yeongsan River and surrounding areas, which boast exceptional natural scenery.

Governor Kim Young-rok said in his commemorative speech, “As Admiral Yi Sun-sin said, ‘Without Honam, there is no country,’ I hope this historical and cultural space symbolizing ‘Uihyang Jeonnam’ will become a representative site for patriotic history education in Korea.” He also stated, “Together with Naju City, we will develop the Namdo Uibyung History Museum and the Yeongsan River development project to make Naju a premier tourist destination on the South Coast.”

Mayor Yoon Byung-tae expressed gratitude in his welcoming speech, saying, “I thank the numerous descendants of the Namdo Uibyung clans and Governor Kim Young-rok for their active support from the museum’s attraction to the groundbreaking.”

Mayor Yoon emphasized, “The museum will serve as a memorial space honoring the loyal spirits of the militia ancestors, an educational space for descendants, and a new asset for Jeonnam’s tourism era of 100 million visitors through the convergence of nature and culture. We will actively support and participate in this endeavor.”

He added, “Along with the groundbreaking, we will cooperate closely with Jeollanam-do to develop the second-phase project site into the Namdo Uibyung History Park to promote tourism revitalization.”

Naju = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yuk-bong bless4ya@asiae.co.kr

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