Actor Song Hye-ko, professor Seo Kyoung-duk donate artwork of freedom fighter

Actor Song Hye-ko and Professor Seo Kyoung-duk of Sungshin Women’s University donated a carved artwork of Kim Kyu-sik (1881-1950), a vice president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, in memory of National Liberation Day.

National Liberation Day, a national holiday in Korea that falls on Aug. 15, celebrates Korea’s independence from the Empire of Japan, which colonized the country from 1910 to 1945.  

The artwork was donated to the headquarters of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Chongqing. The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was active from 1919 to 1948 in various Chinese cities to carry out activism for Korean independence.  
Professor Seo Kyoung-duk is a general education professor known for promoting Korean history and culture overseas. For the past 11 years, Seo and Song — best known for her roles in hit K-dramas like “Descendants of the Sun” (2016) — have been donating to 31 historical sites abroad that are related to the Korean independence movement. Their donations include Korean guidebooks, signs, and artworks of freedom fighters.  

“We donated a carved artwork of Vice President Kim Kyu-sik in order to honor his historic deeds,” said Prof. Seo on his Facebook.  

The 80-by-90 centimeter (31-by-35 inch) artwork made of bronze was installed inside the office of President Kim Gu (1876-1949) within the headquarters.     

A freedom fighter of the Korean independence movement, Kim Kyu-sik defected to China in 1913 in order to continue his activities away from Japanese persecution. In 1919, he attended the Paris Peace Conference as the Provisional Government’s foreign minister and condemned Japan’s annexation of Korea.

He was kidnapped and brought to North Korea in 1950 during the Korean War (1950-53) and died there later that year.

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]