SBS's 'Tail-Biting Story' (Kkokkomu) will reveal the untold story behind the demolition project of the Japanese Government-General of Korea building, which had to be carried out like a 007-style secret operation.
The episode of 'Kkokkomu' airing on July 16 is titled "1995, The Day of 'Destruction'." In this episode, singer Shinji, singer Kang Kyun-sung, and comedian Park So-ra join as story guests to dig into the hidden details of the demolition project of the Japanese Government-General building, which took place on August 15, 1995, the 50th anniversary of Korea's liberation.
The Japanese Government-General building was a symbol of Japanese imperialism that brutally trampled on the Korean people for 36 years. However, the episode reveals the surprising fact that when the Kim Young-sam administration decided to demolish the building in 1993, it sparked such intense opposition in the country that even live televised debates were held over the issue.
Completed in 1926, the Japanese Government-General building was the largest of its kind in the East at the time and occupied the center of Seoul for 70 years, even as its ownership changed four times after liberation. When the reasons why the Japanese imperialists chose that specific location and their sinister intention to build it at a 3.75-degree angle from the axis of Gyeongbokgung Palace, which sits right behind it, were revealed, Park So-ra remarked, "How could they think of such a thing? It is so sinister."
'Kkokkomu' also stirred anger among the cast by revealing the shocking reactions from Japan ahead of the building's demolition. Shinji expressed disbelief at the fact that some Japanese people said they "missed those days" and that there was a surge in Japanese tourists visiting to see the building one last time before it was torn down. The cast could not hide their fury as they heard about the outrageous remarks made by high-ranking Japanese officials who subtly justified colonial rule.
Amidst intense national interest and pressure from opposition groups, the show features vivid testimony from Lee Gi-bon, who was in charge of a key mission for the demolition project. He confessed that he had to keep his "item" hidden away so that it would not be exposed to the outside world until the very day of August 15, 1995. Hearing the story of the secret operation to protect this mysterious object, which was nearly 4 meters tall and weighed close to 70 tons, Shinji exclaimed, "It was truly not an easy journey to restore it to its rightful place."
Above all, the revelation that a mysterious secret space was discovered in the basement of the Japanese Government-General building during the demolition process sent chills down everyone's spines. With a 14cm-thick solid iron door and a drain installed inside a narrow room, curiosity is mounting about the true identity of this space, which will be revealed in the broadcast.
'Kkokkomu' airs tonight (July 16) at 10:20 PM.
Reported by Kang Seon-ae
(SBS Entertainment News, Reported by Kang Seon-ae)
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