By Jeongnam Kim
(Former Senior Presidential Secretary for Education·Culture·Society, World Korean News advisor)
After a couple of moves, the New York Korean Church moved to the present location in 1927, with Cho Byeong-ok and Lee Yong-seol leading a campaign to purchase a church building. Ever since, Rhee Syngman, Ahn Ik-tae, Cho Byeong-ok, Kim Hwallan and other famous Korean people either stayed at this place or passed by, making this church a main place of our liberation movement.
This church, observing the 92nd anniversary of its foundation this year, had some security problems lately due the building being worn out. It was known that the church authorities had applied for the designation of this church as a historical monument for its independence movement in consideration of its historical significance in the time of the Roh Mu-hyeon government. They also reportedly wanted to make a memorial center where they could permanently keep relics and documents related to the independence movement. But the government showed disapproval, indicating that some of the individuals had later turned pro-Japanese. However, the people could have become turncoats, but not the building.
An Emerson piano, made by the famous piano production company in 1849, is kept in this church, and it is said that Mr. Ahn Ik-tae used to play out his ideas of our national anthem on this piano when he stayed here. At the main entrance, the original church signboard which was hung in 1927 at the time of move-in is still kept intact. and the doorknobs touched by Seo Jai-pil, Rhee Syngman and Ahn Ik-tae still retain their ancient look.
The four-storied building, with a basement, has most of its old interior kept intact, but the building itself urgently needs an extensive repair. It is known that the church has thus far collected a total of $3.68 million as a church building fund, but this amount is far too short to do the remodeling of the building with all the historical valuables kept intact. And without a governmental support, it is unavoidable that the present building be torn down for the construction of a new building. In this case, the main doors and signboards be removed separately and have them on display in a memorial center. They say that a decision of any choice have to be made within 2013.
The Korea-U.S. Heritage Foundation, which is working hard on a campaign for the Korean people in the United States to find their identity, has designated this church as the 1st Historical Monument for the Korean Immigrants. Quite a number of scholars, who study our independence movement history, express the opinion that it is urgent for us to rehabilitate this church as an Independence Memorial Hall before its becomes too dilapidated, in consideration of its historical value.
Since a report on this matter was published (on the 4th and 9th of March, 2013), the New York Korean General Consulate reportedly showed an interest, studying the review of this project on the level of the government authorities concerned. It is learned that of the four floors of the church, one floor would be set as a memorial hall in which related historical remains be on display. We cannot help but pay a keen interest to this matter, and if this project is materialized, it will serve as an occasion for us to take a fresh look at the history of our independence movements overseas.
