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Lee to visit former site of Korea's provisional government in Shanghai

Published: 07 Jan. 2026, 09:20

President Lee Jae Myung, right, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung are seen departing for Shanghai from Beijing on Jan. 6. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Lee Jae Myung is set to visit a historical site in Shanghai on Wednesday that once served as the headquarters of Korea's provisional government during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, the Blue House said.

The visit comes as this year marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.

Lee said earlier he also plans to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of independence hero Kim Koo (1876-1949), who led the provisional government in Shanghai, to honor the sacrifices of independence fighters.

During his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, Lee highlighted the shared history of Korea and China, noting both countries lost national sovereignty and fought for independence — an apparent reference to Japan's colonial expansion in the early 1900s.

Ahead of the visit, Lee is scheduled to attend the Korea-China Venture and Startup Summit to discuss high-tech cooperation with entrepreneurs from venture firms and startups in both countries.

In Beijing, he attended a business forum involving top executives of major companies in Korea and China to boost economic cooperation in areas such as AI and cultural content.

He is scheduled to wrap up his four-day state trip to China and return home later in the day.

Yonhap