‘Ilgwang Place Name’ Controversy Over Japanese Origin … Busan Gijang-gun, "Serious Defamation"

Published 10 Apr.2023 17:33(KST)

Updated 07 Aug.2025 16:23(KST)

Busan's Gijang County recently dismissed the controversy raised by a media outlet claiming that the place name 'Ilgwang-eup' originated during the Japanese colonial period as false information stemming from historical ignorance.

Furthermore, the county expressed strong regret, stating that linking this to pro-Japanese collaboration is a serious defamation against the entire Gijang County population, including the residents of Ilgwang-eup.

According to Gijang County, the name Ilgwang (日光) actually originates from Ilgwangsan (日光山), the guardian mountain of Goseong (古城), where the old fortress of Gijang was located.

The Namru Sangryangmun at Gijang Hyanggyo contains the phrase 'Ilgwangsan,' and considering that this Sangryangmun was written in the 6th year of King Injo's reign (1638 AD), it appears that the name Ilgwang has been in use for over 380 years.

Gijang County Office.

Gijang County explained that the county is also famous as a sacred place for the anti-Japanese independence movement. After the March 1st Independence Movement took place at Tapgol Park in Seoul in 1919, the independence movement continued throughout Gijang County, including Gijang-eup, Jwacheon, and Ilgwang, until April of the same year. During the Japanese colonial period, fierce anti-Japanese activities produced numerous independence activists.

Currently, Ilgwang-eup is rapidly growing as a stay-type tourist destination combining natural environments such as Ilgwang Beach and a sports town, with large-scale development projects actively underway, attracting many residents.

County Governor Jeong Jong-bok said, “Considering the history of intense anti-Japanese movements in this region, it is very regrettable to misrepresent the name Ilgwang as pro-Japanese.”

He added, “The place name Ilgwang is a beautiful name inherited from our ancestors, and we will continue to cherish and protect it. Furthermore, we will spare no effort to support Ilgwang-eup in becoming widely known as a high-quality city that is a great place to live.”

Regarding the private dinner held on the 6th at the seafood restaurant ‘Ilgwang Susan’ in Haeundae District, Busan, attended by President Yoon Suk-yeol, metropolitan government heads, members of the National Assembly, and cabinet members, a media outlet claimed that ‘Ilgwang’ is an administrative district created during the Japanese colonial period and symbolizes the Rising Sun Flag.