Civic Group Seeks Whereabouts of Muan Japanese Army Memorial Stone, Evidence of Japanese Aggression

A memorial monument built by the Japanese military during the Japanese colonial period to commemorate the Japanese soldiers. Provided by the Forced Mobilization Victims Association.

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A civic group is searching for the whereabouts of a memorial stone, originally erected by the Japanese colonial authorities in Muan County, South Jeolla Province, to honor Japanese soldiers who died in the Russo-Japanese War and other conflicts, which has since disappeared.

According to the Citizens’ Group for Victims of Forced Mobilization by Japan, a support organization for victims of forced labor, the memorial stone, believed to have been erected in 1912 at the main gate of a Japanese elementary school in Mangun-myeon, Muan County, disappeared several years ago.

The memorial stone is a relic from the colonial era, established by a Japanese army colonel to commemorate Japanese soldiers who died in the Russo-Japanese War and other conflicts. At that time, people passing in front of the elementary school were required to bow toward the memorial stone.

After Korea’s liberation in 1945, the stone was repurposed as a stepping stone for crossing streams or ditches. It is believed that a local resident later took it and kept it in their possession.

According to the civic group, this resident passed away several years ago, and since then, the whereabouts of the memorial stone have remained unknown.

A representative of the civic group stated, "The memorial stone is a valuable historical record that illustrates the history of Japanese aggression," and added, "We are posting banners throughout the Mangun-myeon area and are waiting for reports from local residents."

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