Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

MPVA to repatriate remains of Patriot Hwang Gi-hwan from US on April 10

Memorial held at NYC church, hub of Korean independence movement

The remains will be interred in Daejeon National Cemetery

Image of repatriation of the remains of Hwang Gi-hwan. Provided by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs

The remains of patriot Hwang Gi-hwan, who fought for the recovery of national sovereignty overseas and was buried in the United States after his death, will be repatriated to Korea after 100 years.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced on April 4 that it has scheduled April 10 for the repatriation of Hwang's remains from Mount Olivet Cemetery in New York and has begun the necessary procedures.

In 2008, the Korean Methodist Church and Institute in New York, led by Pastor Jang Cheol-woo, discovered the location of Hwang's grave. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs attempted to repatriate the remains, but faced difficulties as the cemetery authority required a court decision for the excavation and return of remains without bereaved family. The Ministry filed two lawsuits in the US in 2019 and 2022 but was unsuccessful in obtaining approval due to insufficient official data.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs stated that the Consulate General in New York and the Ministry provided justifications for the repatriation of Hwang's remains and national aspirations to the cemetery. Two New York City Council members, Holden and Borelli, as well as New York city government officials and lawyer Kim Gwang-su, provided support during this process, according to the Ministry.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will send a team led by Nam Gung-seon, Director General of Honor and Legacy Bureau, to New York on April 5 for the repatriation of Hwang's remains. The team will conduct a memorial ceremony on April 8 at the Korean Methodist Church and Institute in New York, which played a significant role in the Korean independence movement. Around 100 people, including the Consulate General in New York, the Chair of The Korean American Association of Greater New York, and Korean residents, are expected to attend the ceremony.

The repatriation team, led by Nam Gung-seon, Director General of Honor and Legacy Bureau, will depart from New York on April 9 with the remains of Hwang and arrive at Incheon International Airport the next morning. The remains will then be taken to Daejeon National Cemetery, where a repatriation ceremony will be held at the memorial tower and a burial ceremony in the seventh independence patriots grave section.

Patriot Hwang, born in 1886, voluntarily enlisted in the World War I while studying in the United States. In June 1919, he provided administrative support to Kim Kyu-sik, who came to Paris to attend the Paris Peace Conference. Later, he was appointed as the Secretary-General of the Korean Provisional Government of Paris and was actively involved in promoting independence.

Hwang, as the head of the Korea Promotion Group in Paris, established a French magazine in January 1920 to promote Korea's independence globally. In April 1921, he contended that Korea's colonization by Japan resulted from the "Divide and Rule policy" among imperialist powers.

He passed away in April 1923 due to heart disease while actively participating in independence activities in New York. In 1995, the government posthumously honored him with the Patriotic Medal of the Order of Merit for National Foundation to commemorate his achievements.

Hwang's life story was portrayed in the 2018 TV drama "Mister Sunshine" through the character Eugene Choi. The famous line from the drama, "Let's see you again in an independent fatherland," is now being fulfilled, 100 years after Hwang's passing.

By Hyun-woo, Seo <lgiant61@dema.mi.kr>

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