Historic schools in Gunsan
By Sho Chang-young
A few days ago, The Korea Times published a column titled "
," written by fellow columnist, Lee Sun-ho. Describing Gunsan as an area where the heritage of the modern era and the changes of the present coexist, he briefly but realistically introduces various modern historic sites that have been well-preserved and revitalized to this day.
He then described the future development of Gunsan through the reactivation of GM factories and Hyundai shipyards, and mentioned tourism as well as an industrial revival of the Gogunsan Archipelago. Lastly, he wished that the patriotic local people will be able to create a better hometown.
Sympathizing with his views, I would like to add more info to deepen our understanding of Gunsan. In Gunsan, there are several schools of educational significance with histories of more than 100 years. Such schools themselves could be cultural assets in our situation.
The first is Yeongmyeong School. It was founded in Guam-dong in February 1903 by William Junkin, a missionary from the Southern Presbyterian Church in the United States. Although it was a mission-based school, most of its teachers were nationalists, so it had a profound influence on the Independence Movement in Gunsan and neighboring counties. On March 5, 1919, teachers and students from this school led the first independence movement in the Jeolla region. It continued to operate despite Japanese repression, but in October 1940 it voluntarily closed after refusing to worship at a Japanese shrine. After liberation, the school was reopened and has undergone changes and developments.
And there's the
. It was also established by Junkin along with Youngmyeong School. As the second girls' school south of the Han River after
, it educated girls in Gunsan and nearby areas, and was similarly closed amid Japanese repression. But it has been open since liberation and has produced many graduates.
The Gunsan Official High School for Girls is our last case. In contrast to the above two schools, this is a public technical school established in April 1916 by the colonial regime. At that time, the Japanese government realized the need for institutional training of female skilled workers. However, many Korean teachers and students continued to teach and learn national consciousness even under Japanese surveillance. They provided indirect support to the March 1 Independence Movement in 1919, too.
The impact of these schools on the community had been so great that historical and cultural traces of them are still easily found throughout Gunsan. Perhaps you are wondering how those schools have changed their names. They are now respectively Gunsanjeil High School and Gunsanjeil Middle School, Yeonggwang Girls' High School and Yeonggwang Middle School, Gunsan Girls' High School and Jinpo Middle School. All of them have separate middle schools and academic high schools under the current educational system.
If you have a chance to visit Gunsan and happen to see one or more of these schools, be sure to go in and take a walk around the campus to think about their historical significance. It would be better if you can enter their small history museums. Not to mention their long history and proud traditions, their beautifully maintained, esteemed landscapes will never disappoint you, especially in this blooming season.
The writer (sochan57@naver.com) is a retired principal of Gunsan Girls' High School.