President Lee Jae-myung on the 7th attended the ceremony marking 100 years of the Shanghai office of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and said, "When we remember and respect history, trust between nations deepens further. Setting the past right is the very path to opening the future together."
Among the several offices used in Shanghai after the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was established in 1919, this office is where it stayed for about six years from 1926 until 1932, when it left Shanghai to escape Japanese oppression. Marking its 100th year this year, the building's location was identified through a joint survey by Korea and China from 1988 to the early 1990s. After the building was restored, it was opened to the public on Apr. 13, 1993, and it reopened in 2015 to mark the 70th anniversary of Liberation Day.
On the day, President Lee paid his respects before the bust of Baekbeom Kim Gu and looked around the office used during the Provisional Government era and the exhibits. He also asked questions such as whether Unit No. 2 among multiple units was used as the Provisional Government building and whether it was leased. He then said, "It would be good to sell goods related to the Shanghai Provisional Government here," and instructed officials to look into how to do so through the relevant ministries.
Lee also carefully examined a brass plaque engraved with the names of those who contributed to the Provisional Government management fund. Looking at a photo on the office wall taken to commemorate the formation of the State Council of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea on Oct. 11, 1919, featuring figures such as Shin Ik-hee and Ahn Chang-ho, Lee even muttered to himself, "The Provisional Government figures were all young and stylish."
The ceremony proceeded in the order of the president's commemorative address, a congratulatory message from descendants of independence patriots, and a reading from the Baekbeom Journal. Attendees at the venue included 12 descendants of independence patriots residing in China and Chinese figures such as Chen Jing, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Standing Committee.
Among the descendants of independence patriots that day were also descendants of Chinese nationals who contributed to Korea's independence movement. Representative examples include descendants of Jeo Boseong, who provided a hideout for Kim Gu (Independence Medal in 1996), and of So Gyeong-hwa, who successfully led an escort operation for Korea Liberation Army members (Patriotic People's Medal in 1996).
In his address, Lee said, "I asked President Xi Jinping for continued interest and cooperation in excavating the remains of patriot Ahn Jung-geun and preserving historical sites in China," adding, "As I travel abroad, I feel keenly that veterans affairs is diplomacy. The government of the Republic of Korea will also work harder to excavate and bring home the remains of independence patriots overseas and to systematically manage and preserve historical sites."
He went on, "This year is a meaningful year marking 100 years of the Shanghai office of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and the 150th anniversary of the birth of Baekbeom Kim Gu. I am truly pleased to visit the Shanghai office at this historic time," adding, "The history of Korea's independence movement cannot be told without China. With nearly half of the independence movement's historic sites located in China, China was the main stage of our independence movement."
Lee added, "Here, our forebears protected the national name of the Republic of Korea and did not give up the hope of a democratic republic," and said, "The time they endured with a single conviction for the liberation of the homeland remains faithfully recorded right here."
He also said, "The Shanghai office once faced the risk of demolition, but with the active cooperation of the Chinese government, it was successfully restored in 1993 and has remained in place for 33 years to this day. I extend my deep thanks to the Chinese government for safeguarding the office under difficult circumstances," and emphasized, "I hope today's event will serve as a valuable opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices and dedication of our forebears 100 years ago and to strengthen the friendship and cooperation between Korea and China."