'Korean Memorial Hall for Koreans in Japan' opens in Gwanghwamun, Seoul

▲ This photo, provided by the Korean Memorial Hall for Koreans in Japan, shows the opening of the Korean Memorial Hall for Koreans in Japan at Gwanghwamun, Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ This photo, provided by the Korean Memorial Hall for Koreans in Japan, shows the interior of the museum. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, July 25 (Yonhap) --The "Korean Memorial Hall for Koreans in Japan" has opened in Gwanghwamun, Seoul.

The memorial hall is located on the 5th floor of the Shinhan Museum, which Shinhan Bank recently re-opened in Gwanghwamun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul.

"The memorial hall built in Yongin, Gyeonggi province in 2012, which was built to commemorate the honorary Chairman Lee Hee-gun, who founded Shinan Bank as a Korean Japanese businessman, has been enlarged and moved to its current location," an official from the Korean Memorial Hall for Koreans in Japan, said.

The museum introduces the history of Koreans in Japan who went to Japan during the Japanese colonial period without their will, and shows their journey of making a living, and overcoming discrimination in Japan till the present day.

The various achievements that Koreans in Japan have made in order to help their home country will be displayed with the photos on a panel.

It introduces a variety of cases including the Korean student volunteers who participated in the Korean war, the part where they held the construction of Korea's first export industrial complex, "Guro Industrial Complex," which served as the foundation for import and export in the 1960s, their donation of 10 billion yen for the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the case of remitting 1.5 billion yen during financial crisis, and many more.

Additionally, this memorial hall also informs the case where after liberation, in 1963, Seo Gab-ho, who was also known as "Spinning King" set up Pangrim and donated the site for the Embassy of Japan in Korea. 

An animation featuring the biography of Honorary Chairman Lee Hee-gun will also be screened.

"Chairman Lee established the Korean Investment Association in Japan and took the lead in investing in the home country for the Koreans in Japan," said an official from the memorial. "It is a place to show the love of the Koreans in Japan towards their home country as they always showed support whenever Korea needed help, or whenever Korea was holding a big event."

Admission to the museum is free from Monday to Saturday (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), and one can tour the exhibits with docent's commentary. However, it will be closed on Sundays and on public holidays.

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Haemin Kim.)

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