Historic An Jung-geun prison calligraphy returned to Korea ahead of Liberation Day
A handwritten piece by Korean independence figure An Jung-geun, created days before his 1910 execution, has been brought back from Japan.
Ahead of the upcoming Liberation Day, the Korea Heritage Service and the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation unveiled a rare piece of writing by An Jung-geun, the famed Korean independence activist executed in 1910. The calligraphy, composed of eight Chinese characters, was drafted in Lushun Prison in March 1910, mere days before An's death, and reads as a critique of international law's impotence before artillery.
The document bears An's signature and his distinctive handprint seal, and specialists confirm its authenticity through comparative analysis of brushwork and character formation. Historical records trace the artifact's custody from prison warden Sadakichi Kurihara to a collector identified only as "Pyong," who later mounted it for preservation. The foundation learned of the piece through contacts in Japan in May 2025 and arranged its return in November, adding to the 31 designated treasure calligraphies attributed to An. Park Jeong-hye, chair of the foundation, pledged continued efforts to locate and repatriate Korean cultural assets abroad.
Why it matters
The return highlights ongoing efforts to reclaim Korean heritage lost during Japan's colonial era.
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