Kochi: A hotel in southwestern Japan has announced its decision to remove a stone monument honoring Ahn Jung-geun, a Korean independence activist from the early days of Japan's colonial rule, following protests from Japan's conservative bloc.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Kochi Kuroshio Hotel, situated in the Kochi Prefecture, stated in a notice on its website that it would remove the monument from its premises by Friday. The monument, which was erected on Saturday, was an initiative led by a Seoul-based organization dedicated to honoring Ahn's legacy, alongside the Japan-Korea Friendship Association.

Ahn Jung-geun is celebrated as one of Korea's most revered independence fighters, known for assassinating Hirobumi Ito, the Japanese resident-general of Korea, in Harbin, China, in 1909. This event occurred less than a year before Korea was formally annexed by Japan. The monument features an inscription promoting bilateral friendship between Korea and Japan and "peace in the East," a concept Ahn advocated throughout his life.

The decision to remove the monument was reportedly influenced by strong backlash from conservatives in Japan, as reported by Japan's Sankei Shimbun newspaper on Wednesday. Hotel officials noted that they were unaware of the inscription's meaning and historical context until the unveiling ceremony.

The civic group honoring Ahn has expressed that the monument was intended to promote ideals of peace and shared prosperity, sending a message of reconciliation and cooperation to future generations. This monument was the fourth to be erected in Japan in honor of Ahn.