Actress' campaign puts spotlight on Japanese colonialism

Song Hye-kyo, right, and Prof. Seo Kyoung-duk / Courtesy of Facebook

By Ko Dong-hwan

Actress Song Hye-kyo, the female lead in TV drama “Descendants of the Sun” that ended Thursday, has continued highlighting overseas Korea’s history under Japanese colonial rule during World War II.

Prof. Seo Kyoung-duk from Sungshin Women's University, well known for promoting Korean interests abroad, said on Facebook Friday he and Song had donated brochures about Korea’s independence movement campaign during the period to the museum at the site of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in the Chinese city of Changsha. The donation commemorated the anniversary of the government-in-exile’s establishment on April 13.

Prof. Seo Kyoung-duk planned and made the brochures, above, and Song funded the campaign.

“I planned and made the brochures and Song sponsored them,” Prof. Seo said on Facebook. “We have been the best double team working together on promoting our country’s history for years, providing brochures to the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Museum of Fine Art Boston and one in Toronto. We hope our effort goes out especially to those who didn’t know about Korea and the Korean language.”

On Tuesday, Song rejected a modeling offer from Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors because the Mitsubishi Group is involved in a lawsuit over alleged use of Korean forced labor during Japan’s occupation in World War II.

Seo left a comment on Facebook the same day, referring to a conversation he had had with the actress, who has been interested in social and historical issues.

Song said: “Mitsubishi hasn’t taken responsibility for their past actions yet, right? That means I am not going to be modeling for them.”