Events Mark 100th Anniversary of Patriot`s Death

Ceremonies at home and abroad were held yesterday to mark the centennial anniversary of the death of Korean pro-independence activist An Jung-geun.

A commemorative event was held under the theme “100 Years of Memory” at the Chosun Art Museum in Harbin in China’s Heilongjiang province, the site where An assassinated the Japanese colonial governor-general Hirobumi Ito.

Some 200 people from the Korean Patriots and Veterans Affairs Ministry, the Korea Liberation Association, the Independence Hall of Korea, the National Institute of Korean History, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the museum, and the Harbin city government attended.

The ceremony started with a gun sound coming from a documentary on Ito’s assassination at Harbin Station.

Kim Joo-hyeon, the head of the Independence Hall of Korea, said in a speech on behalf of the patriots minister, “The spirit of An, who dreamed of not just Korea’s independence but also the prosperity of Korean independence, is globally respected across the border to China and Japan.”

Piao Jianyi, chief of the Center of Korean Peninsula Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said, “Let’s start a project to realize An’s theory of peace in Northeast Asia by creating a fund between Korea and Japan.”

Following the event, a dedication ceremony unveiled a statue of An in the museum made with the ministry’s support.

Korean Prime Minister Chung Un-chan and other major Korean officials, members of the Korea Liberation Association, An’s descendants including his granddaughter Yeon-ho, 72, and some 1,200 citizens attended a ceremony hosted by the Memorial Association of An Jung-geun at the plaza in front of Patriot An Jung-geun Memorial Hall.

The event included a performance, commemorative remarks, the singing of the song of the Korean liberation army, and cheers under the theme of “100 Years of Patriotism and 1,000 Years of Prosperity.”

Prime Minister Chung said in a speech, “Patriot An is a representation of our proud national spirit and a beacon of hope that awakens world peace. His concept of peace in the East and co-prosperity is a good model for many people around the world.”

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