Underground newspapers for Korea’s independence during the colonial period under Japanese rule were discovered recently.

The Jinkwan Temple located at the foot of Mount Bukhan, Seoul discovered the Joseon doklip sinmun(Newspapers for Korea’s Independence) and theJayu sinjongbo(New Newspapers for Freedom) while they were repairing a temple building.

It is first time that copies of the Joseon doklip sinmun and Jayu sinjongbo’s second and third editions were found within South Korea. Until now, it had been said that these newspapers had been made after the March 1 movement for Korea Independence in 1919.

Choi Ki-young, a professor of history of Sogang University, says, “At that time, the Provisional Government in Shanghai had sent many monks as special agents to Korea, and therefore, I am guessing that the Jinkwan Temple had served as a base for the independence movement in Seoul.”

Photo by Roh Hyung-seok/The Hankyoreh