Bae Jeong-ja Monument Discovered at Changsin-dong Temple

In February 1949, before her arrest by the Special Committee for the Investigation of Anti-National Acts (Banminteukwi), one of the last places pro-Japanese collaborator Bae Jeong-ja hid was the Seongbuk-dong and Changsin-dong area, with Anyangam Temple in Changsin-dong being one of them. Anyangam is considered a place where many historical events and figures were intertwined from the Japanese colonial period to post-liberation. In particular, it is also known as the place where Yi Tae-jun worked as a monk, giving it deep historical roots.

Anyangam Temple was not merely Bae Jeong-ja's hiding place but was actively used for her pro-Japanese activities. Bae Jeong-ja conducted recruitment activities for Japanese comfort women and 'Jeongsin-dae' (comfort women and labor corps) here, using it as a reception center. Records also indicate it was used as a collection point for gold gathered by her third husband, Park Yeong-cheol, and also for processing name changes (Changssi Gaemyeong).

A 'Samhwa Women's Association Monument' inscribed with the name of pro-Japanese collaborator Bae Jeong-ja was discovered at Anyangam Temple in Changsin-dong. This stele is presumed to have been made in the 1940s, about 80 years ago, and is currently lying neglected. The Samhwa Women's Association was a gathering of pro-Japanese collaborators who actively supported and cooperated with all of Japan's exploitation policies from 1938 to 1945, after the Sino-Japanese War. This monument appears to have been erected to commemorate their 10th anniversary.

Bae Jeong-ja's birth name was Bae Ok-nam, but the name 'Jeong-ja' has a special origin. Ito Hirobumi, before he favored Bae Jeong-ja, gave her this name after his own deceased daughter, 'Sadako' (Jeong-ja). Written with the Chinese characters for 'chaste (貞)' and 'child (子),' this name is not just a simple story but evidence of how deeply Ito Hirobumi cherished Bae Jeong-ja. This background serves as an important clue to illuminating Bae Jeong-ja's complex personal history, along with her pro-Japanese activities.

While the exact circumstances of how the Samhwa Women's Association monument found at Anyangam Temple fell are unknown, its value as an on-site historical record is highly regarded. Some even suggest that the monument should be re-erected to properly acknowledge history. Even if it is a dark and shameful history, it is still a part of our past, and it is important to accurately record and preserve it. Such records are essential for future generations to learn from the past and cultivate a sense of historical awareness. Therefore, there is a growing call to approach this monument from the perspective of historical education and preservation, rather than simply leaving it neglected.