Seoul, Astana ink MOU on preserving sites related to Korea’s independence movement

Korea and Kazakhstan have signed a memorandum of understanding to help better preserve historical sites in the Central Asian country linked to Korea's independence movement against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, Seoul's Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said Wednesday.

The agreement was signed Tuesday by Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul and Arman Kyrykbayev, Kazakhstan's minister of culture and information, on the sidelines of a bilateral summit between President Lee Jae Myung and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The Kazakh president is on a visit to Seoul, along with the heads of state of four other Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan, for the inaugural South Korea-Central Asia Summit.

Under the MOU, the two countries agreed to systematically preserve the historical records and cultural value of historical sites related to Korea's independence movement while also strengthening academic exchanges.

There are 25 historical sites related to Korea's independence movement in the Central Asian country, according to the ministry.

Among the sites is a memorial park in Kyzylorda, southern Kazakhstan, where Hong Beom-do, a historic figure in the nation's fight for liberation, was once buried. Hong, who served as general commander of Korea's independence army, is renowned for leading a historic victory in the Battle of Bongo-dong in northeastern China against Japanese forces in 1920.

The ministry is currently conducting an on-site survey of all 1,032 overseas historical sites related to Korea's independence movement against Japan's colonial rule that is set to conclude in 2028.

Under the plan, the ministry will inspect 258 sites in China and Japan this year, followed by 413 sites in 2027 and the remaining 361 sites in 2028.

Yonhap