U.S. exhibition honors Korean independence hero Kim Koo

A special exhibition will be held in the United States over the next three months to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of a renowned Korean independence hero who fought against Japanese colonial rule, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said Wednesday.

The exhibition on Kim Koo (1876-1949), a pivotal leader of the Korean independence movement during Japan's 1910-45 colonization of Korea, will take place at the Old Korean Legation in Washington from June 26 to Sept. 26, the ministry said in a release.

An opening ceremony will be held Wednesday.

Kim spearheaded resistance against Japan's colonial rule for over three decades, serving as the first president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai during the struggle.

Unesco officially commemorated the 150th anniversary of Kim's birth this year, honoring his profound belief that culture is the ultimate engine for national growth, human happiness and international peace, as written in an essay in his biography titled, "My Desire" (1947).

The exhibition will be held to mark Kim's legacy in recognition of the Unesco commemoration, alongside this year's 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, the ministry said.

The exhibition will highlight the establishment activities of the Provisional Government, introducing the Korean American community's support for the independence movement that led to the founding of modern Korea, the ministry said.

Simultaneously marking the U.S. independence, the exhibition intends to shed light on the values of democracy and the historical significance of Korea's independence movement, it added.

The exhibition will be co-hosted by the National Memorial of the Korean Provisional Government and the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation under the Korea Heritage Service.

Following Korea's liberation in 1945, Kim returned home and dedicated his final years to fiercely campaign against the U.S.-Soviet trusteeship that threatened to split the nation.

His crusade for a unified Korea ended short when he was assassinated by an army officer connected to political forces opposing unification.

Yonhap