Monument honoring Independence Army to be set up in Xian

The Korean and Chinese government are known to have agreed to set up a monument at the Independence Army camp in Xian, Shanxi Province, and will launch construction soon.

According to diplomatic sources Monday, China accepted President Park Geun-hye`s request while she was visiting China in June last year to set up a monument in Xian, and is in the final stages including engraving of the copy.

The statue will be built at Changan, Xian, where the Independence Army Zone II camp was based. It is where the training site of troops led by General Lee Bum-suck was located. The place has turned into a granary now. Korea delivered the copy to be engraved to China who is known to have shown positive response.

Korea had requested the set up of a monument, to which China additionally suggested building a pavilion on the monument. The time of set up has yet to be decided. Some assume that it will be built around the time Chinese President Xi Zinping visits Korea this year.

Japan`s Ashai Shimbun reported that China is promoting a siege diplomacy against Japan, saying the country built a memorial hall for Ahn Jung-geun (Korean patriotic martyr) last month in Harbin, Liaoning Province, and went on to set up a monument in Xian.