China-donated statue of Korean national hero unveiled

The city of Euijeongbu north of Seoul, unveiled to the public a statue of Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun, donated by a Chinese think tank, on Friday, amid soured Seoul-Beijing relations caused by South Korea's recent deployment of a U.S. missile defense system.

The municipality, which installed the statue in front of Euijeongbu Station in early August, has had it veiled to protect it from being damaged before it was officially shown to the public.

The Charhar Institute, a Chinese civic think tank, donated the 2.5-meter-high statue to the city to promote friendship between the two countries. The Korean national hero shot and killed Hirobumi Ito, the first Japanese governor-general of the Korean Peninsula, at a railway station in the Chinese city of Harbin in 1909. The statue depicts Ahn pulling out a gun to shoot the governor while running toward him.

Established in 2009 under the leadership of Han Fangming, a Chinese national political advisor, the Chahar Institute is a non-governmental think tank aimed at providing an exchange platform for the government, research institutes, enterprises and the general public.

It is known that Han, who revered the Korean independent activist, had spearheaded an effort to make the donation to the South Korean city.

The statue is drawing attention to whether it will help improve ties following the installation of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea. Beijing has steadfastly opposed the THAAD system, claiming it hurts its national interests.

The municipality has been in talks with the government on a plan to invite a high-ranking Chinese official to a ceremony to officially mark the unveiling of the statue.

The city's move to display the statue came five days ahead of the 107th anniversary of Ahn's death. The independence fighter under the Japanese colonial rule of Korea was executed at a prison in China by Japanese authorities after being arrested in 1909 for assassinating the Japanese resident-general in Korea.

Source : Yonhap