President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook pay their respects to a bust of Kim Gu (김구, 金九) (1876-1949), a leader of the Korean independence movement, at the site of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Chongqing, China, on Dec. 16. (Cheong Wa Dae)

By Lee Hana

President Moon Jae-in, on an official state visit to China, paid his respects at the building of the former Korean Provisional Government, in Chongqing on Dec. 16. 

President Moon is the first Korean president to visit the Provisional Government building in Chongqing.

The president paid a silent tribute to a bust of independence fighter Kim Gu (김구, 金九) (1876-1949), the last premier of the Korean Provisional Government, and took a tour of the exhibit halls and the office of the premier, once used by Kim Gu himself. 

Next, the president met with the head of the Korean Provisional Government Association, Kim Ja Dong, and some children and grandchildren of three independence fighters. 

The family members of the late independence fighters expressed their gratitude for the efforts taken by the government to preserve and conserve the Korean Provisional Government building in Chongqing.

President Moon Jae-in takes a look around the office of the late independence fighter Kim Gu during a visit to the former Korean Provisional Government building in Chongqing on Dec. 16. (Cheong Wa Dae)

“Being here, I was able feel the blood, tears and spirit of our forebears who travelled across China devoting their lives to the Korean independence movement,” said President Moon. “It was thanks to their strong, unwavering will that Korea was able to declare its independence.” 

“The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea is our foundation, our tradition. Our constitution states that Korea inherited the traditions of the provisional government. This is why 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement, as well as the founding of the provisional government, and 100 years since the founding of the Republic of Korea.”

“On the occasion of the 100-year anniversary, we have plans to build a provisional government building in Korea. The administration will also continue our efforts to conserve the numerous sites across China that served as the backdrop of the independence movement,” he said. 

The building in Chongqing housed the Korean Provisional Government until Korea regained independence in 1945. Of all the provisional government buildings that were set up in other parts of China, the one in Chongqing is the largest. 

Now a museum, the five buildings of the former government complex contain historical artifacts, such as summit records, independence newspapers and documents drafted by people in the Independence Army. 

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