Historic Site of March First Independence Movement in Jeam-ri, Hwaseong

This is the site of the massacre where the Japanese colonial authorities suppressed the independence movement in its most brutal form during the March First Movement. Around 10 March, An Jong-rin and An Jeong-ok obtained the Declaration of Independence and agitational leaflets in Seoul, and on 25 March they climbed the hill behind the village with the villagers, lit a signal fire and shouted for independence. On 5 April, market day in Balan, the leaflets were distributed among the residents, and young people from the church together with the crowd gathered at the market shouted for independence and marched through the streets. In response, the Japanese police opened indiscriminate fire and beat the crowd, causing many injuries; the enraged crowd threw stones and killed the chief of police. On 15 April, Japanese troops completely surrounded Jeam-ri, gathered all males aged fifteen and over into the church, locked the doors and windows from outside, and opened concentrated fire on them all at once. The bodies were then dragged out of the church, piled with straw, and set alight. Twenty-three residents, including children, were mercilessly killed in this way. The troops went on through the village setting fire to homes, and in the neighbouring village of Goju-ri they stabbed residents to death with swords. This massacre of innocent villagers stands as a symbol of the atrocities committed by Japan. In 1982, on the testimony of Jeon Dong-rye, the sole survivor of Jeam-ri, the site was excavated. The remains of the twenty-three victims were unearthed together with their vest buttons, coins, nails and bottles; a memorial stone was erected and a joint funeral held. A monument to the martyrs now stands on the site of the burnt-down church, and related materials from Korea and abroad are displayed in a memorial hall used as a site for public education. (The name was changed from Jeam-ri March First Movement Martyrs' Site to Historic Site of March First Independence Movement in Jeam-ri, Hwaseong, by notice of 28 July 2011.)

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Hwaseong, Gyeonggi

Designation

Historic Site · 사적