The guidebook "Our History Encountered Abroad — Washington Edition" (left), alongside professor Seo Kyoung-duk and actor Song Hye-kyo, who spearheaded the project. [Provided by Seo Kyoung-duk's team]
The guidebook "Our History Encountered Abroad — Washington Edition" (left), alongside professor Seo Kyoung-duk and actor Song Hye-kyo, who spearheaded the project. [Provided by Seo Kyoung-duk's team]

Actor Song Hye-kyo and Sungshin Women's University professor Seo Kyoung-duk have teamed up to donate 10,000 copies of a guidebook documenting the history of Korean independence activists in the Washington, D.C., area.

Seo announced Wednesday on social media that the guide, produced in both Korean and English, has been donated to the Korean Legation in Washington, D.C., where it is being distributed to visitors.

The guide covers the locations and historical activities of key sites, including the Korean Legation, the Korean Commission to America and Europe, and the Korean Commission to the United States.

"The preservation conditions of Korea's independence movement sites abroad are not particularly good," Seo said. "But the continued interest and visits of our people will be the greatest force in preserving those historic sites overseas."

Those unable to visit in person can download the original file from the website "Our History Encountered Abroad."

Guidebooks covering Korean history by city have now been donated to 11 major cities around the world, including New York, Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai and Mexico City.

Over the past 15 years, the collaboration — planned by Seo and sponsored by Song — has donated Korean-language guides, hangul signage and relief artworks honoring independence activists to 40 sites abroad.


choigo@heraldcorp.com