Ewha Archives Revealed Two Unreleased Photos of Independence Activist Yu Gwan-sun
- 작성처
- Date2019.06.03
- 3461
Ewha Womans University revealed for the first time two unreleased photos of Patriotic Martyr Yu Gwan-sun (1902-1920), an independence activist from Ewha Haktang.
During the preparation of the special exhibition titled “The Independence Activists of Ewha” held to commemorate the centennial of the March 1st Independence Movement and the 133rd anniversary of the university's foundation, Ewha Archives discovered two photos of Yu Gwan-sun in Ewha in the Past, the photo albums housed in the Ewha Archives. Ewha in the Past, consisting of 89 photo albums, contains photos of the university from 1886, when Ewha Haktang was founded, to the 1960s. The photos of Yu were found in volumes one and four, which are presumed to be taken when she was in Ewha Haktang's normal (botong) school (1915-1916) and in high school (1918).
Yu Gwan-sun transferred to Ewha Haktang around 1915-1916 and graduated from Ewha Haktang's normal school in 1918. She went on to high school in April 1918 and attended there until 1919. On March 1, 1919, when the March 1st Independence Movement broke out, Yu took part in a street demonstration with other students. As the school was ordered to close, she returned to her hometown where she was arrested during the street demonstration in Ahwoonae marketplace. After Yu died for the country from malnutrition and torture on September 28, 1920, A. Jeannette Walter, a teacher at Ewha Haktang (the fifth principal of Ewha Haktang) recovered Yu's body and held a funeral under the surveillance of Japanese police.
The special exhibition titled “The Independence Activists of Ewha” will be held until May 16, 2019. This special exhibition features photos and relics donated by bereaved families of six independence activists (Marcella Shin, Dorothy Lee, Aesiduk Hong, Aesiduk Hwang, Shin Uigyeong, and Choi Seonhwa) from Ewha Haktang who sacrificed themselves for the country and the people together with photos of Yu Gwan-sun.