A Sacred Site of Armed Independence Movement Neglected Without a Trace

[Anchor]

The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea buildings still remain in Shanghai and Chongqing, China. These symbols of the anti-Japanese independence movement draw 350,000 visitors a year. However, Beijing, where independence movements were just as active as in those cities, lacks even a proper commemorative hall.

Correspondent Han Sang-woo tracked down these historical traces.

[Reporter]

Beijing Zoo is always crowded with pandas and various rare animals.

At its center lies the Sampaeja Garden, anchored by a modern western-style building called Changguanlou.

Originally a retreat for Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi during the late Qing Dynasty, this location holds an unmissable place in our independence movement history.

From April 17, 1921, leaders of the "Military Unification Conference"—created by Shin Chae-ho, Shin Sook, Lee Hoe-young, Park Yong-man, and others—gathered here for over two months to discuss the integration of independence army organizations.

[Hong Sung-lim / Chairman, Memorial Association for Anti-Japanese History in China: Since heads of military organizations from around the world gathered here to hold the Military Unification Conference, it symbolizes the independence movement in Beijing and serves as a sacred site for those who advocated an armed struggle route.]

Yet, no guides or historical markers can be found anywhere to explain this history of the independence movement.

Stepping into a traditional Chinese alley, or hutong, near the Forbidden City, a house with a red gate catches the eye.

This is the site where the anti-Japanese resistance poet Lee Yuk-sa died in a Japanese gendarmerie prison.

Lee was arrested in Korea in 1943, transferred here, and died in prison.

Today, the site has been converted into a private residence, with no explanations of Lee Yuk-sa nearby and access remains difficult for reporters or visitors.

There are as many as 26 historical sites of the independence movement in Beijing, China. These include the Yukguk Hotel, where figures like Ahn Chang-ho, Lyuh Woon-hyung, and Hwang Jin-nam met a visiting U.S. congressional delegation in August 1920 to appeal for independence, as well as the former residence of Shin Chae-ho.

However, because they followed a different path from the Provisional Government, which pursued a diplomatic independence route, they have remained relatively overlooked.

Urgent diplomatic efforts are needed to preserve these marginalized historical sites of the independence movement.

(Camera: Choi Deok-hyun, Video Editing: Choi Hye-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.