A 'Samhwa Women's Association' monument inscribed with the name of pro-Japanese collaborator Bae Jeong-ja was found neglected at Anyangam Temple in Changsin-dong, raising the need to record this history.
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).
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.
Answers come from the transcript, with the exact spot cited.
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