A memorial service for the Koreans massacred in 198 was held at Gwaneumsa Temple in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

A memorial service to honor the souls of the Korean victims massacred during the Great Kanto Earthquake in Japan in 1923 was held at Gwaneum Temple in Chiba Prefecture, Japan on the 5th.

Hosted by the Association of Koreans in Chiba Japan (Chairman Yang Mi-young), the memorial service on this day was attended by Chairman Yang Mi-young, Venerable Jeong Gwang-hye, the Women's Association of the Chiba Prefecture branch of the Korean Association in Japan, local compatriots, and Japanese citizens.

Attendees paid tribute and paid tribute to the victims who were wrongfully killed 103 years ago.

In Naginohara near Gwaneumsa Temple, six Koreans who had been transferred from the Narashino camp to the surrounding area immediately after the Great Kanto Earthquake were massacred by vigilantes.

After testimony from local residents and a long investigation by citizens, the remains of six people were excavated here in 1998, and the following year, in 1999, the 'Monument to the Korean Victims of the Great Gwanto Earthquake' was erected on the grounds of Gwaneumsa Temple and the remains were enshrined.

Gwaneumsa Temple, local residents, and civic groups worked together to erect a memorial stone, and a memorial service to honor the victims has been held here every year.

At this memorial service, a memorial performance was prepared to honor the souls of the victims with music, dance, poetry, and songs.

Yuka Sugai and Yuko Hasegawa performed violin and piano pieces such as 'Arirang', 'Spring in My Hometown', 'The Old Site of the Hwangseong Castle', and 'My Hometown in a Dream' to commemorate the victims who left their hometown and could not return. There was also a Salpuri performance by dancer Choi Yeon-jin.

This was followed by a narrative concert by writer Chae-won Shin and singer Jin-oh Moon from 'People Seeking Songs'.

At a lecture held prior to the memorial service, former Arirang CEO Kim Jong-young pointed out issues that have not yet been resolved, such as uncovering the truth about the massacre of Koreans, the history of memorial activities, and the issues of excavating and returning remains.

Representative Kim emphasized, “Restoring the honor of the victims and returning their remains are not for the past, but our responsibility to leave truth and justice to future generations.”

The memorial service began with remembering the sorrow and death of the victims, held the responsibility of the descendants of both Korea and Japan, who inherited the terrible history, and finally continued with a prayer for the return of the victims still remaining in Japan.

The 'Bohwa Bell Tower' and the memorial bell sent from Korea are also located within the grounds of Gwaneumsa Temple. Bohwa Bell Tower, built at the will of Korean citizens in 1985, is also a trace of remembrance and Korean-Japanese citizen solidarity that has continued beyond the border.

Chairman Yang Mi-young said, “The Chiba region Korean community will join us in remembering the victims who have not been able to return to their hometowns even after 103 years and passing on that history to the next generation.”