Jeonnam Province Designates Eight Anti-Japanese Independence Heritage Sites as Provincial Cultural Assets

Considering Historical Value and Preservation Status
Including Gwangyang Maechun Hwang Hyun Birthplace and Tomb
First Provincial Contest Led by Residents in Korea

Gwangyang Maechun Hwang Hyun Birthplace and Tomb. Provided by Jeonnam Province

To mark the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation, Jeonnam Province has become the first in the nation to designate eight 'Anti-Japanese Independence Heritage' sites as provincial cultural assets through a public contest among its residents.

This designation aims to preserve the sites of militia resistance and national movements that took place throughout Jeonnam during the Korean Empire and Japanese colonial periods, and to pass on the spirit of anti-Japanese resistance to future generations.

Historically, Jeonnam has been a central hub for militia resistance and national movements. The anti-Japanese heritage sites scattered across the region embody the spirit of forebears who devoted themselves to the nation and its people.

Since March, Jeonnam Province collected 22 heritage candidates from 11 cities and counties through a public contest. After document review and on-site inspections by cultural heritage experts, eight sites with outstanding historical value, preservation status, and representative significance of the era were selected. The final designations will be officially announced on August 14, in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of liberation.

The designated anti-Japanese independence heritage sites are: ▲ Yeosu Geomundo Anti-Japanese Historic Site ▲ Gwangyang Maechun Hwang Hyun Birthplace and Tomb ▲ Gurye Go Gwangsun Anti-Japanese Battlefield and Memorial Monument ▲ Goheung Mangyeongam Anti-Japanese Militia Battlefield ▲ Hwasun Yang Hoeil Anti-Japanese Militia Heritage ▲ Haenam Simjeokam Anti-Japanese Militia Battlefield ▲ Wando Oh Seokgyun's Letters ▲ Shinan Duryudan and Rock Inscriptions.

The Yeosu Geomundo Anti-Japanese Historic Site is a complex heritage site composed of the martyrdom site of Lim Byeongchan and the Annoru Islet Goduri Younggam Shrine. It preserves the traces of Geomundo residents' resistance against Japanese rule and their national movement.

The Gwangyang Maechun Hwang Hyun Birthplace and Tomb is a space honoring the spirit of the intellectual Maechun Hwang Hyun, who left a final poem and gave his life at the time of Korea’s annexation by Japan. The Gurye Go Gwangsun Anti-Japanese Battlefield and Memorial Monument is a significant symbol of southern militia history, commemorating militia leader Go Gwangsun, who died in the 1907 Battle of Yeongoksa.

The Goheung Mangyeongam Anti-Japanese Militia Battlefield was the site of the last major battle in the Jeonnam militia resistance in 1909. The events of this battle are meticulously recorded in historical documents, giving the site high archival value.

The Hwasun Yang Hoeil Anti-Japanese Militia Heritage consists of a monument to the fallen, prison letters, and literary collections, all of which are significant in both militia and literary history.

The Haenam Simjeokam Anti-Japanese Militia Battlefield is an important example of armed resistance by the Buddhist community, where militia members and monks from Daeheungsa Temple fought against the Japanese army. Wando Oh Seokgyun’s Letters are documentary heritage that reveal the activities of the secret society 'Suuiwichingye.' Shinan Duryudan and Rock Inscriptions are invaluable historical sites that demonstrate exile, Confucian education, militia activities, and the succession of modern Confucianism.

Kang Hyoseok, Director of Cultural Prosperity at Jeonnam Province, stated, "By designating these heritage sites imbued with the spirit of resistance as cultural assets for the 80th anniversary of liberation, we have created an opportunity for residents and future generations to feel historical pride." He added, "We will continue to do our utmost to ensure that the spirit of resistance can be experienced and inherited in everyday life through systematic preservation and utilization."

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