The Faces of Independence Activists in Japanese 'Surveillance Cards'...Restored with AI Technology

Exhibition "80th Anniversary of Liberation: Faces Rediscovered"
Japanese Authorities Created Surveillance Cards Before and After the March 1st Movement
Personal Information and Photographs of Independence Activists Included
Original Cards Revealed to the Public for the First Time
Restored Using AI Technology

During the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese authorities established a meticulous surveillance system by creating "Key Surveillance Target Person Cards" that contained personal information about independence activists. These cards featured photographs taken either immediately after the activists’ arrests or collected at the time, making them valuable materials for understanding the historical context. For the first time, these "Key Surveillance Target Person Cards" are being made available to the public.

Prisoner Record Card of Activist Yu Gwansun. National Museum of Korea

The National Museum of Korea announced on July 15 that, in collaboration with the National Institute of Korean History, it will hold a special exhibition titled "80th Anniversary of Liberation: Faces Rediscovered" in the Korean Empire Hall on the first floor of the permanent exhibition gallery until October 12. The exhibition will display the actual "Key Surveillance Target Person Cards," and will also feature AI-restored images of five independence activists who died before witnessing the country's liberation: Ahn Junggeun, Yu Gwansun, Lee Bongchang, Yun Bonggil, and Ahn Changho.

The "Key Surveillance Target Person Cards" being unveiled for the first time in this exhibition contain personal details, incarceration records, and wanted histories of independence activists. In the early 1980s, 6,264 cards were discovered by chance at the National Police Headquarters (now the National Police Agency), and they are currently preserved and managed by the National Institute of Korean History. The exhibition includes not only well-known figures such as Yu Gwansun, Ahn Changho, and Han Yongun, but also the faces of activists whose names have been forgotten. The thorough surveillance records kept by the Japanese authorities are regarded as crucial historical materials testifying to the realities of the independence movement, and were designated as National Registered Cultural Heritage in 2018.

The "Surveillance Target Person Cards" are significant because they allow visitors to encounter the final records and faces of independence activists who remained unbroken despite Japanese oppression. The cards began to be produced in earnest following the March 1st Movement, and were used as tools for monitoring and surveilling key independence activists. The exhibition includes the only known photograph of Yu Gwansun taken during her imprisonment, as well as a series of photographs showing Ahn Changho’s gradual decline in health during his repeated incarcerations.

Various artifacts left behind by independence activists are also on display. These include prison calligraphy by Ahn Junggeun, who assassinated Ito Hirobumi, the primary architect of Japan’s invasion of Korea, in Harbin; a letter written by Na Seokju while preparing for his mission; and the oaths of Lee Bongchang and Yun Bonggil, offering a glimpse into the final traces of those who gave their lives for the independence of their homeland.

Inside the exhibition hall, visitors can also view video footage in which the faces of Ahn Junggeun, Yu Gwansun, Lee Bongchang, Yun Bonggil, and Ahn Changho have been digitally restored using AI technology. The exhibition brings to life the smiles of these five individuals, who longed for liberation but passed away before experiencing its joy, through digital technology.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.