Korean independence activist An's prison handwriting repatriated from Japan

A revered Korean independence fighter's prison script, penned mere days before his demise in 1910, has been returned to South Korea from Japan. This historic document, inscribed in Chinese characters, surfaced in Lushun Prison, present-day northeastern China, shortly before An Jung-geun's execution. An, a fervent advocate for Korean autonomy, was apprehended and executed by Japanese forces after killing Ito Hirobumi, the inaugural Japanese governor-general of Korea in 1909.

His execution stemmed from his conviction for murder following the assassination of Ito. Despite his claim that the assassination was a justified act of war and his demand for a trial under international law, Japan prosecuted An for murder and sentenced him to death. This newly returned document, which reads "International law is no match for a cannon," encapsulates An's profound despair over the ineffectiveness of international law during his time.

The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) and the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation exhibited the script to the media at Deoksu Palace in Seoul, ahead of Korea's Liberation Day on August 15, to mark the end of Japan's 1910-45 colonial dominance over Korea.