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On the 3rd, on the global channel Arirang TV, the diplomatic documentary ‘Diplomat‘s Archives: Hidden Stories’ aired an episode titled ‘The Taegeukgi Delivered by a Belgian Priest’.

The broadcast featured Bruno Jans (Bruno Jans), Ambassador of Belgium to Korea; Anthony E. Clark (Anthony E. Clark), professor of Chinese history at Whitworth University; Song Myeong-ho, former specialist member for modern cultural heritage at the Cultural Heritage Administration; and Jang Taehan (Edward Taehan Chang), professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Riverside, and head of the Kim Young Oak Institute of Korean American Studies.

Marking the 106th anniversary of the March First Movement, as Taegeukgi flags are being hoisted nationwide, the 6th Exhibition Hall of the Independence Hall displays a Taegeukgi that looks quite different from the one we know.

Known as the ‘Taegeukgi bearing an inscription by Kim Gu’ and designated Treasure No. 2141, the remarkable hidden story of this flag was revealed on ‘Diplomat‘s Archives: Hidden Stories’.

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The appearance of the ‘Taegeukgi bearing an inscription by Kim Gu’ differs from the one we know: the taegeuk is arranged vertically, and the four trigrams Geon, Gon, Gam, and Ri are placed in reverse. There is even writing on the right. It reads as follows.

“Please convey this request to Father Maeusa. Since you wholeheartedly assist our movement for national restoration, wherever you go on this journey, whenever you meet any of our compatriots, please deliver these words of uigu, correct wording). If you wish to avoid the sorrow of a subjugated country, a ruined nation), if you wish to enjoy freedom and happiness, dedicate your vital energy ㆍ manpower ㆍ material resources to the Liberation Army, overthrow the enemy Japan, gangnomalse, the bad cohort of a world ruled by might), and complete the independence of the homeland. - March 16, 1941, in Chongqing, from Kim Gu”

Who exactly was Father Maeusa, to whom Chairman Kim Gu made this earnest request? The profile of Father Maeusa could, surprisingly, be confirmed through Bruno Jans, the Belgian ambassador to Korea. Ambassador Jans introduced him: “Father Maeusa was a Catholic priest from Belgium who belonged to the Archdiocese of Daegu and ministered in Korea for a long time.”

His real name was Charles Meeus, and he was a priest affiliated with the Société des Auxiliaires des Missions (SAM), established in Belgium. Beginning in 1935, he carried out missionary work in China, was ordained by Bishop Zhu Kaimin, and even naturalized as Chinese.

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Anthony Clark, a Whitworth University professor who researches Catholic missionary work in China, evaluates Father Maeusa as having a singular affection for Asia. “The most important point in the activities of SAM missionaries is that they sought to establish respect for Asia within European society. They worked not to assimilate Asia into European culture, but to enable Asia to celebrate and preserve its own culture.”

Father Maeusa was active in China during the period of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937~1945), which overlapped with the time when the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea operated in Chongqing. Within this historical situation, the shared goal of anti-Japanese resistance became an important foundation for a deep bond between Father Maeusa and figures of the Provisional Government.

Song Myeong-ho, former specialist member for modern cultural heritage at the Cultural Heritage Administration, analyzed, “Exchange between Father Maeusa and Kim Gu began through Bishop Weibin, who was in close contact with Chairman Kim. When Bishop Wei held a send-off ceremony for the Provisional Government Liberation Army, the fact that Father Maeusa was among the 20 key attendees shows that the two sides had formed a considerable relationship of trust.”

In 1941, when Father Maeusa was to travel to the United States on business, Chairman Kim Gu asked him to deliver a Taegeukgi bearing his handwritten signature to Korean compatriots in the United States. The flag was thus delivered to Madam Lee Hyeryeon, the wife of Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, who played a central role in the Korean American community.

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Jang Taehan, a professor of ethnic studies at the University of California, Riverside, who researches Korean American history, said, “The year 1942, when the Taegeukgi was delivered, was after Dosan Ahn Chang-ho passed away in 1938. Seeking to maintain the relationship between the Provisional Government and the Korean National Association, Chairman Kim Gu appears to have intended to deliver a Taegeukgi bearing his signature to Madam Lee Hyeryeon (Helen Ahn), who commanded great respect within the Korean American community.”

Additionally, Song said, “Although the origin of the Taegeukgi dates back to 1882, public awareness of it spread widely with the March 1, 1919 Manse Movement. The Taegeukgi was the only means and rallying point that united Koreans, who lacked powerful weapons,” emphasizing that what Father Maeusa delivered held meaning beyond a mere flag.

Also a Seoul City official, Song continued to research the history of the Taegeukgi and brought the existence of Father Maeusa to the attention of academia and society, and he played a central role in registering 21 items of national heritage related to the Taegeukgi, including the ‘Taegeukgi bearing an inscription by Kim Gu’.

Covering the Taegeukgi imbued with the wish for national independence and its special bond with a Belgian priest, ‘Diplomat‘s Archives: Hidden Story – Belgium Part 2’ was broadcast worldwide via Arirang TV, and the full version can also be viewed on the Arirang TV YouTube channel.

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