“Singminji hugi Pangmunsa ŭi kŏllip, hwaryong kwa haebang hu ch’ŏri” [The establishment and utilization of Pangmun Temple during the late colonial period and its disposal after the liberation]

"The Erection, utilization of the Pakmun temple during the late Colonial period and its Disposal After Korean Liberation from Japan" This article deals with Pakmun Temple which was commemorated and constructed for Ito Hirobumi around Japanese Manchu Invasion: how it was constructed, managed and disposed of later. the site was the national memorial Park during the Taehan Empire(1897~1910). This temple was built by the Association of Ito Hirobumi Memorial in 1932, the organization that had the vice Governor-General as head of Board of Trustees. This shows the Colonial Government in reality initiated this project. The funding for the establishment was de facto forced upon Koreans through the colonial administrative units. It also reflects Governor General's willingness to pacifiy the possible unrest in Korean peninsula through commemorating a Japanese patriot. At the opening date, with the Vice-Governor General, the directors of several government Departments, businessmen, and the Korean worthies participated into the ceremony. Since the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War(19.37) the Pakmun Temple was utilized for a joint service for the war dead, memorial services for the Buddhists and merit persons in the Japanese Annexation of Korea(1910). After japanese Empire crumbled in 1945, the US Army Government in Korea(USAMGIK) interpreted based upon International Law at the time, that Japanese Buddhist temples would be transferred to Korean Buddhists, the interpretation also applicable to Pakmun Temple. Since the Temple, however, was built on the government memorial site, different groups had their own ideas regarding the possible use of the site. Therefore, this issue was discussed at the South Korean Interim Legislative Assembly(SKILA). In the long discussion, at last, it was decided that the Pakmun Temple had to be reverted to government land given that the site belong to national Memorial site. This is very well summarized in the Kim Bup-rin's statement. Kim, with Horace H. Underwood was a member of the Committee for the Japanese Religious Properties. Pakmun Temple case shows very well the destiny of the Japanese temples in Korea, which were built during the wartime period