The North Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education announced Monday that it is running the "2026 Teacher-Student Joint Overseas Independence Movement Pilgrimage," a program bringing 58 high school students and teachers to major Korean independence movement historical sites in China.
Running from Sunday through Saturday, the pilgrimage comprises 32 students and 26 teachers divided into two teams — one exploring northern China on a route called "Path of National Salvation" and the other visiting southern China on the "Path of Independence." Both teams will tour sites connected to independence activist Ahn Jung-geun and the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.
Participants will visit key historical sites including the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall at Harbin Station, the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea building, a refuge used by independence leader Kim Gu, and the memorial hall of the Korean Liberation Army headquarters, learning about the history and significance of the independence movement firsthand.
Hwang Seon-ik, a professor at Kookmin University, and Ryu Dong-yeon, a researcher at the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, will accompany the group throughout the entire itinerary to provide on-site commentary.
The program is structured as an experiential curriculum linking pre-trip study, on-site inquiry and post-trip presentations. After the pilgrimage, participants will hold a sharing event on Aug. 14 to present their findings and integrate them into school curricula.
"We will actively support students in directly experiencing the sites of the independence movement so they can vividly understand the history of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and North Gyeongsang Province's independence movement, and carry that spirit of patriotism back into their schools," North Gyeongsang Superintendent of Education Im Jong-sik said.
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