In May 2009, during the dismantling and restoration of Chilseonggak Hall at Jingwansa Temple in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, an old cloth bundle was discovered. The cloth was not a wrapping cloth but a Taegeukgi, the Korean national flag, inside which was a bundle of newspapers. A total of 19 issues of the Dongnip Sinmun were found, dated from 1919. The Taegeukgi was originally a Japanese national flag that had been painted over with ink to form the Taegeuk mark and four trigrams. The upper left corner of the flag was damaged by fire, with several holes visible, suggesting that it was likely used during or shortly after the March 1st Independence Movement.

The fact that this Taegeukgi was made in 1919 makes it historically significant, and considering that it reflects the independence movement led by diverse groups, including the Buddhist community, it was designated as a Treasure of Korea in 2021. The “Jingwansa Temple Taegeukgi,” a powerful symbol of anti-Japanese independence spirit, attracted public attention when President Lee Jae-myung, who took office in June, wore it as a badge on his lapel.

The “Jingwansa Temple Taegeukgi” will be displayed at the special exhibition titled “Anti-Japanese Heritage Filled with Light” at Dondeokjeon Hall in Deoksugung Palace, Seoul, starting August 12, marking the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day. The exhibition showcases over 110 artifacts illuminating the history of anti-Japanese independence movements from the opening of Korea’s ports to the Korean Empire, Japanese colonial period, and liberation.

In addition to the “Jingwansa Temple Taegeukgi,” several other Taegeukgi flags symbolizing the independence movement are featured. These include the “Kim Gu Signed Taegeukgi,” given by Kim Gu in 1941, inscribed with messages of independence and signed by him, which he handed to Ahn Chang-ho’s wife, and the “Provisional Assembly Taegeukgi” once owned by the family of Kim Bung-jun, who served as the chair of the Provisional Assembly of the Republic of Korea. These flags allow visitors to trace the evolution of the Taegeukgi. At the end of the exhibition, the “Korean Liberation Army Signed Taegeukgi” welcomes visitors, embodying the love for country and desire for freedom of those who devoted themselves without fame.

Also debuting in the exhibition is a handwritten work titled “Nokjuk” (Green Bamboo) by the independence activist An Jung-geun. This piece was repatriated through an auction by Koo Hye-jung, daughter of the late Koo Tae-hoe, honorary chairman of LS Cable & System, in April. The term “Nokjuk” appears in the classical Chinese poetry collection “Chugu,” and it is said that An wrote this to express his convictions while awaiting execution in the Lushun Prison in China in 1910. Alongside “Nokjuk,” another of Ahn’s works, “Iltongcheonghwagong,” is also on display.

Documents related to the resolute resistance of militia leaders repatriated from Japan, which provide detailed evidence of Japanese suppression of militia movements during the late Joseon period, including the “Late Joseon Militia Documents,” the diplomatic diary “Misailrok” of Lee Beom-jin, the Korean Empire’s minister to the U.S., and the “Collection of Korea-Japan Relations Materials” that illustrates the diplomatic strategies of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, will also be publicly exhibited for the first time.

Hwang Seon-ik, professor of Korean history at Kookmin University and chief curator of the exhibition, explained, “The government first proposed managing independence movement heritage as state-owned artifacts in the late 1960s, with the first designation being the ‘Yun Bong-gil’s possessions’ in 1972, and the most recent designation involving materials related to independence activist Seo Young-hae. This exhibition displays most of the important anti-Japanese independence artifacts from the earliest to the latest.” He added, “We sought to capture the determination of those who tried to protect something in difficult times and the hopes they dreamed of.”

At the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History near Deoksugung Palace, an exhibition titled “Taegeukgi, The Days We’ve Shared” opened on August 8, highlighting historical moments in modern and contemporary Korean history centered on the Taegeukgi. The exhibition features 18 important Taegeukgi flags from Korea and abroad, including one thought to have been exhibited at the Korean Empire pavilion at the Paris Exposition in 1900 and the Taegeukgi of the Provisional Assembly of the Republic of Korea.