2019 marks the 100th anniversary of Korea's March First Independence movement when hundreds of thousands of Koreans nationwide came out onto the streets protesting against Japan's colonization. <br />And to commemorate the movement, various events are being held across the country, including a special exhibition at Dongdaemun Design Plaza.<br />Choi Si-young takes us to the scene. <br /><br />A special exhibition in Seoul is displaying Korean artifacts that wealthy collector Chun Hyung-pil had saved from being taken out of the country during Japan's colonial rule.<br />Held annually since 2014 by Kansong Art Museum and Seoul Design Foundation, the exhibition this year contains more artifacts than before, including some that are designated as national treasures.<br /><br /><br />"To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the independence movement, we decided to recapture in depth the life of the collector who fought against Japan through 'culture' and 'education'."<br /><br />And Chun Hyung-pil did more than just collect Korean artifacts.<br />During the colonial time, he paid to assume the ownership of a financially troubled secondary school to raise awareness of Korean identity among the youth.<br />It is said that on every March first when those students graduate, he read out loud the Declaration of Independence to them.<br /><br />He founded also the country's first modern private museum, which housed numerous Korean artifacts he collected.<br />At antique auction shops during colonial time, he bought stacks of art products... all at the risk of being sold to wealthy Japanese collectors.<br />Most were porcelain, and some have now been designated as national treasures.<br /><br />Chun ventured overseas to buy back the finest porcelain collection made under the Goryeo dynasty.<br /><br /><br />"The collector not only acquired Korean artifacts in downtown Seoul during the colonial period, but also traveled as far away as Japan to safeguard Korea’s cultural assets."<br /><br /><br />"The fact that the collector invested his wealth to save our artifacts is a victory for us descendants."<br /><br />The exhibition will run into the end of March this year at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. <br /><br />Choi Si-young, Arirang News. <br />
