Historian to lead Independence Hall of Korea in South Chungcheong Province
Andong-based expert on independence movement to lead preparations for the hall's 40th anniversary in 2027
Kim Hee-gon, head of the National Memorial of the Korean Provisional Government, speaks during a press conference at the memorial in Seodaemun District, Seoul, March 30. Yonhap
The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced Friday that President Lee Jae Myung has appointed Kim Hee-gon, head of the National Memorial of the Korean Provisional Government, as the 14th president of the Independence Hall of Korea, effective Monday.
Kim is widely regarded as an expert in the history of Korea’s independence movement from Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945).
He previously served as a professor in the history department at Andong National University (now Gyeongguk National University). He has also held several key positions, including head of the Korea Independence Movement History Research Institute at the Independence Hall of Korea, director of the Andong Independence Movement Memorial Hall and president of the Korean Association for Modern and Contemporary History, and is a member of the National Institute of Korean History.
Since April 2022, he has served as the inaugural head of the National Memorial of the Korean Provisional Government. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Kyungpook National University and obtained both his master’s and doctoral degrees from the same institution. He holds a Ph.D. in literature, specializing in the history of the independence movement.
“Kim is a scholar who has long specialized in the history of the independence movement and possesses the expertise aligned with the founding purpose of the Independence Hall, which includes collecting, preserving, exhibiting, investigating and researching materials related to overcoming national crises," the ministry said in a statement.
It added that he will lead preparations to mark the hall’s 40th anniversary in 2027.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.