The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (hereafter MPVA) concluded a deal to purchase the Young Korean Academy building in Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 31 (PST).

<The news of possible demolition of the Young Korean Academy building precipitated the SAVE YKA movement among local Korean American community leaders as well as from other preservation-minded community members who recognized the significance of the property. The movement included the leaders from the Young Korean Academy, the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho Memorial Foundation, and the Korean National Association Memorial Foundation. Local and national preservation advocacy groups Los Angeles Conservancy and Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation (APIAHiP) submitted an application to nominate the property as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in May 2021, temporarily halting demolition by the property owner.>

To be able to preserve the Young Korean Academy (Hung Sa Dahn) building, which was in danger of demolition due to redevelopment…It marks the first case for MPVA to purchase real estate overseas in order to preserve historic sites of Korea’s independence movement.
MPVA will conduct a detailed inspection of the interior and exterior of the structure and make its survey results public within this year.
Minister Park Minshik, “Preserving the Young Korean Academy building in LA is an achievement made through the concerted efforts of the Korean American community and the South Korean government,” adding “we will utilize it as a central historic site for Korean independence movement in the US.” 

[Korea, February 2] Thanks to the support of the Korean American community and the South Korean government has purchased the Young Korean Academy (Hung Sa Dahn) property, located at 3421-3423 S. Catalina Street, Los Angeles which had been neglected in recent years and in danger of demolition and redevelopment.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (Minister Park Minshik) on February 2 stated, “we closed the deal to purchase the Young Korean Academy building on January 31 (PST) in order to prevent the demolition of the building and preserve it as a historic memorial site for the Korean independence movement.”

It is the first time that a Korean governmental entity has purchased real property outside of Korea in order to preserve a historic memorial site important to the Republic of Korea’s independence history.

□ 철거 소식에 엘에이(LA) 현지 독립운동 관련 단체인 흥사단, 도산 안창호 기념사업회, 대한인국민회 기념재단이 주축이 되어 건물을 지키기 위한 위원회를 구성하였고, 미국의 로스앤젤레스 관리단(LA Conservancy), 아시아 태평양 섬 주민 역사보존협회(APIAHP, Asian&Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservaion)와 같은 역사보존 시민단체가 엘에이(LA)시의 역사.문화기념물(이하 사적지)로 신청하여 부동산회사의 건물 철거를 일시 정지시켰다. 

ᄋ 이후 흥사단 건물의 사적지 지정을 위한 1차 공청회(’21.7.15)와 2차 공청회(’21.11.4)에 한인사회가 적극적으로 참여하여‘사적지 등록 권고’라는 성과를 이끌어냈다. 

ᄋ 하지만, 사적지 등록 절차 진행으로 철거는 한시적으로 보류되었으나, 건물의 온전한 보전 방안이 확보되지는 않은 상황이었다. 

□ 그러던 중 지난해 5월, 소유자 측에서 엘에이(LA) 흥사단 지부에 매각을 
제의하였고, 국가보훈처는 신속하게 소유자와 매입을 위한 협상을 진행, 엘에이(LA) 흥사단 지부의 협조 속에 이번 최종 매입에 이르는 결실을 맺을 수 있었다.