Walking the Path of Jeong Yak-yong…Ju Gwang-deok, Namyangju Mayor, Tours Jeong Yak-yong Historical Sites with Citizens

[Suwon Ilbo=Eom In-yong Reporter] Namyangju City operated a 'Humanities Field Program' on July 13-14, touring historical sites of Jeong Yak-yong with graduates from the first cohort of Yeoyugdang Citizens University.

The tour was attended by 25 graduates from the first cohort of Yeoyugdang Citizens University, Jeong Ho-young, the seventh-generation direct descendant of Jeong Yak-yong, Mayor Ju Gwang-deok, and city officials. Over one night and two days, they visited various historical sites centered around Gangjin, South Jeolla Province, where Jeong Yak-yong was exiled.

On the first day, they visited the Cheonjin-am Sacred Site located in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, where they viewed the burial grounds of Catholic saints including Jeong Yak-jong, and then moved to the Dasan Integrity Retreat Center in Gangjin County, South Jeolla Province, to conclude the day's schedule.

On the second day, they visited Sa-ui-jae, Baengnyeon-sa, and Dasan-cho in sequence, and then visited the Gangjin Dasan Museum to reflect on Jeong Yak-yong's relics and life.

Following the tour, through a roundtable discussion with Gangjin County Governor Gang Jin-won, county officials, and the head of the Dasan Fan Club, participants shared the need for two cities to collaborate in widely promoting the spirit of Jeong Yak-yong.

Participants evaluated that by directly visiting places bearing Jeong Yak-yong's exile and ideological traces, they were able to experience and practically understand what they learned at Yeoyugdang Citizens University.

Mayor Ju Gwang-deok stated, "It was meaningful to walk in the footsteps of Jeong Yak-yong with the graduates of Yeoyugdang Citizens University and reflect anew on the depth of his life." He added, "Going forward, we will continue to carry on the spirit of Jeong Yak-yong together with citizens and further promote the value of Namyangju as a humanities city."