Statue of Freedom Fighter An Jung-geun

Seoul city has chosen the winning design for a statue of freedom fighter An Jung-geun. Sculpted by Seoul National University Professor Lee Yong-deok, Lee’s winning work will be placed at Namsan (Mt.) Park. The bronze statue will be 7.5-meters tall (including a 3-meter podium) and will be built at the entrance of the yet-to-open An Jung-geun Memorial.

An was an educator and freedom fighter against Japan’s colonial rule in the late Joseon era. He studied Chinese academics, horse riding, archery and shooting from his early years. When the Russo-Japanese War erupted in 1904, he went to Shanghai and opened Korean schools while devoting himself to educational enlightenment. He was involved in the national independence movement in 1907 when he went to Vladivostok, Russia as an exile to join the citizens’ Righteous Army. In 1908, as the army’s senior commander, he led troops into Gyeongheung, North Hamgyeong Province, but was defeated by Japanese forces. In March 1909, with like-minded colleagues in Russia, An founded an organization called Danjihoi. Each member cut a finger and vowed to “remove” Japanese colonial ruler Ito Hirobumi and the Korean collaborator Lee Wan-yong. In October that year, when Ito arrived at Harbin Train Station in China, An fired three shots that killed him. An was arrested and subsequently executed at Lushun Prison on March 26, 1910. He was posthumously granted Korea’s highest commendation, the Medal of Honor, in 1962.