Photos of Independence Fighters Disclosed
By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
A Russian museum has disclosed 23 photos of Korean independence fighters against Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945).
The Vladimir Arsenyev Museum for Krai Regional Studies in Vladivostok released the black-and-white pictures, Thursday, two days ahead of Liberation Day.
The photos feature independence fighters whose activities took place in Vladivostok, Ussuriysk and Partizansk from the end of Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) until the nation's liberation in 1945, as well as the lives of Korean residents in far eastern Russia.
One picture shows a corps led by Han Chang-geol, who fought against the Japanese army in Partizansk. Another displays a funeral scene for 46 members of independence fighter Han Un-ryong's unit, who died in a 1921 Dalenechensk battle with Russian soldiers sponsored by Japan.
Besides photos of several other independence fighters, the collection also includes images of the daily lives of Koreans in Vladivostok in the early 20th century, students at a Korean school in Ussuriysk, and a photo of Russian soldiers and Koreans wearing ``gat'' (a traditional cylindrical hat).
The pictures have been disclosed at the request of the Korean consulate general in Vladivostok.
``Those Russian regions were at the center of the independence movement between the end of Joseon era and 1922, but not much was known about activities of independence fighters there. We need more study, as we still do not know what some of the figures in the photos did,'' said Park Hwan, a professor at the University of Suwon.