Conference to examine activist artists’ contribution to Korean independence

The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History will hold a conference Friday to explore independence activist artists ahead of Liberation Day next week, the state-run museum said Wednesday.

The event will look at how Korean artists and their works boosted efforts towards achieving independence from Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule, with seven academics discussing their research in different fields.

A keynote speech by Kim Jeong-in, a historian teaching at Chuncheon National University of Education, will open the conference touching on the overall cultural milestones of the independence movement.

Songs to boost militia morale composed by Yoon Hee-soon, the first woman independence fighter who led a women’s militia, will be reviewed by Sim Ok-joo, president of a local think tank on women independence activists.

The works by novelist and author Sim Hun will be reintroduced with a focus on their emotional appeal to Koreans who lived through the 1920s.

A researcher at the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will then share the latest findings on Kim Tong-hwan, known for the epic poem “Night on the Border.”

Other discussions will highlight women’s roles in promoting independence efforts, starting with students. The contributions of the so-called “picture brides” who married the first-generation Korean immigrants who settled in Hawaii in the 1910s after a photo exchange for matchmaking will also be introduced.

The one-day meeting will include performances of songs written by activist artists.