During the visit to the United States for the South Korea-U.S. summit, President Lee Jae-myung visited the Seo Jae-pil Memorial Hall in Philadelphia on the 26th (local time) with First Lady Kim Hye-kyung and said, "I hope this space will develop into one that informs future generations about the history of the independence movement and contributes to the local community." This marks the first visit to the memorial hall by a South Korean president in 26 years since former President Kim Dae-jung in July 1999.
President Lee said, "I think it is very meaningful to visit the memorial hall that embodies the spirit of Dr. Seo Jae-pil, who dedicated himself to the country's independent sovereignty during this visit to the United States." According to Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung, President Lee asked in detail whether the birthplace of Dr. Seo Jae-pil, located in Boseong, South Jeolla Province, is well preserved and other related matters. Afterward, the president and his wife planted hibiscus as part of the 80th anniversary of liberation commemorative tree planting.
The Seo Jae-pil Memorial Hall was established to inform American society of Dr. Seo Jae-pil's contributions and patriotic spirit, recognized as the first civil newspaper in Korea. After the Seo Jae-pil Memorial Foundation purchased the house where the doctor lived in 1986 and underwent renovations, it opened as a memorial hall in November 1990.
Dr. Seo Jae-pil founded the Independence Newspaper, the first civil newspaper in Korea. After participating in the construction of the Independence Gate and activities as an independence activist, he was exiled to the United States in 1898. As the first Korean Western doctor, he left his hospital to rejoin the independence movement when the March 1 Movement broke out in 1919 and held a Korean American freedom rally in Philadelphia. He adopted a resolution demanding the recognition of the Korean provisional government by the United States and the League of Nations, serving as the diplomatic advisor to the provisional government and working for international support for independence. He passed away in 1951 at Montgomery Hospital in Pennsylvania.
On this day, the memorial hall visit was attended by U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon, Media City Mayor Robert McMahon, Pennsylvania State Senators Patty Kim and Tim Kearney, among others, according to the presidential office. Following the visit to the memorial hall, President Lee will conclude his 3-night, 6-day schedule for his trip to Japan and the United States with a tour of the Hanwha Philadelphia shipyard, symbolizing cooperation projects in the South Korean-U.S. shipbuilding industry, before returning home.