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| The poster for the exhibition titled "Korea's Independence Movement and Canadians," which will be open at the City Gallery in the basement of Seoul City Hall from Feb. 23 to March 31. / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
By Kim Hyun-bin
The Seoul Metropolitan Government will hold an exhibition highlighting five Canadians who helped Koreans' independence activities during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement.
The exhibition, "Korea's Independence Movement and Canadians," is being held at the City Gallery in the basement of Seoul City Hall from Feb. 23 to March 31.
According to the city government, the exhibition recounts the five Canadians' sacrifices and contributions to Korea's independence and development.
The most prominent figure among the five is Frank W. Schofield (1889-1970). After coming to Korea to be a professor at Severance Hospital in 1916, he helped independence activists. Schofield was the only foreigner who had been told of the plan for the March 1 movement and supported it secretly ― this is why he is called the "34th representative of Korean people," following the 33 cultural and religious leaders who released the Proclamation of Independence on March 1.
Schofield wrote articles and photographed the movement, as well as of a massacre of Korean civilians by Japanese soldiers at a village named Jeam-ri in Gyeonggi Province about a month later.
The Korean government later recognized his activities, granting a state medal in 1968. He was buried as a "patriot" in Seoul National Cemetery, the first foreigner to be honored this way.
The other four are Stanley H. Martin (1890-1941), who gave medical treatments to wounded independence activists in Manchuria in March 1919 and reported the Japanese soldiers' massacre of Koreans in the region in 1920; Frederick A. McKenzie (1869-1931), who as a war correspondent covered independence activities and sponsored the movement after forming a Korea friendship society in the United Kingdom; Robert G. Grierson (1868-1965), who set up hospitals, schools and churches here to help the independence movement; and Archibald H. Barker (?-1927), who founded Myeongsin Girls' School and devoted himself to the education of women, Hangeul and Korean history.
The exhibition's opening ceremony will be held at 5 p.m. on Feb. 26. Seoul Mayor Park Won-Soon, Dean Kevin Schofield, a grandson of Schofield, and Michael Danagher, Canada's ambassador to Korea, will attend.
The exhibition will feature 50 items including photographs, illustrations, writings and video clips of the five people, including photos taken by Schofield.
"The five Canadians were independence fighters who showed the world Koreans' will for independence and led the country's development in medical and education sectors," Mayor Park said. "Regardless of their nationality, we will always remember their sacrifices and spirit."
