A provincial government’s bid to bring home “Independence,” a calligraphic work by Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun, remains stalled as officials struggle to reach a deal with its Japanese holder. The Gyeonggi Provincial Government said Friday that its yearlong effort to secure the work’s return has yet to yield a result, adding that it will continue talks through the end of the year as Korea marks the 81st anniversary of its liberation from Japanese colonial rule. Ahn, a revered Korean independence activist, wrote the calligraphy at Lushun Prison shortly before his execution in 1910 for assassinating Ito Hirobumi, Japan’s first prime minister and resident-general in Korea, at Harbin Station the previous year. He then gave a Japanese guard the work, which is regarded as one of his most symbolically significant pieces. According to provincial officials, it is now held in custody by Ryukoku University in Kyoto after being entrusted by descendants of the guard. Provincial officials had initially expected negotiations to proceed smoothly. In 2025, as Korea marked the 80th