Seoul will host a special exhibition, “Voices,” of female independence activists at the Lee Hoi-young Memorial Hall in Sajik-dong, Jongno-gu, from August 8 to September 7, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day.
This exhibition is designed to highlight female figures who have been previously introduced only as peripheral figures in the independence movement as central figures of history. Among the 18,258 individuals who received government honors for their independence activities, only 664, or about 3.6%, were women.
In the exhibition, visitors can experience the voices of eight women independence activists, including Yu Gwansun, Kang Joo-ryong, Kim Alexandra, Kim Hyang-hwa, Nam Ja-hyun, Yoon Hee-soon, Park Eum-jeon, and So Eun-myeong. Visitors can hear these reproduced voices by placing their ears on the “Ear of the Earth” sculpture installed in the front yard of the Lee Hoi-young Memorial Hall.
Additionally, the voices of Lee Eun-sook, Kwon Ki-ok, Jo Maria, and Lee Hwa-rim can be heard in a space prepared inside the memorial hall. The voices were recorded with the participation of five stage actors and students from Mokpo Jeongmyeong Girls’ High School and Baehwa Women’s University, where independence activists Park Eum-jeon and So Eun-myeong attended.
Lee Eun-sook’s voice is based on her records, “Seogando City Memorial,” while Kwon Ki-ok’s voice is recreated through a postcard sent to Ahn Chang-ho. Jo Maria’s voice is connected to the same pistol used by independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun, and Lee Hwa-rim’s narrative is presented through a bookcase space on the first floor of the memorial hall.
The Lee Hoi-young Memorial Hall operates various programs besides this exhibition. “Lee Hoi-young Route 2” operates every other Saturday from October and includes explorations of modern architectural sites such as Jungmyeongjeon, the Russian Legation, and Dilkusha. Participants can register from August 23 on the memorial hall’s website.
Furthermore, the “Books and Friends Reading Club” gathers on the fourth Wednesday evening of each month. In August, they will read Kim Gu’s “Baekbeomilji,” in September Kim Sowol’s “Azaleas,” and in October Kim Yoo-jung’s “Klutz” and Park Wan-seo’s “Mother’s Stake.” In November and December, they will hold reading and music programs themed around Esperanto and “Azaleas.”
The Lee Hoi-young Memorial Hall, opened in 2021, is dedicated to commemorating the lives of independence activist Lee Hoi-young and his brothers. It was established to mark the 110th anniversary of the foundation of the Shinheung Military Academy and is situated in an old Western-style building in Sajik-dong, Jongno-gu.
Kim Kyung-mi, the director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Balanced Development Policy Department, stated, “We hope this exhibition will serve as an opportunity to reflect on the independence and subjectivity of female independence activists,” adding, “We anticipate that citizens will share the historical significance through various cultural programs related to independence movements.”