Meritorious Service Record

The New Asia Tongji Society (新亞同濟社) was established in Shanghai in 1912 following the Xinhai Revolution by Shin Gyu-sik　and Chinese revolutionaries. It was an evolution of the earlier Tongji Society (同濟社), which had been founded by Park Eun-sik and other Korean activists. The organization aimed to strengthen solidarity between Chinese and Korean revolutionaries, foster friendly relations, and jointly engage in anti-Japanese resistance. The efforts of the New Asia Tongji Society, along with the contributions of Chinese revolutionaries like Song Jiaoren (宋敎仁), played a crucial role in laying the groundwork for the formal establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in April 1919.
In 1942, the Sino-Korean Cultural Association (韓中文化協會) was founded in Chongqing to promote cultural exchange, solidarity between the two nations, and lasting peace in East Asia. The organization was spearheaded by key figures such as Kim Gu and Cho So-ang on the Korean side, and Sun Ke (孫科) and Wu Tiecheng (吳鐵城) on the Chinese side. Sun Ke served as Chairman, while Cho So-ang and Kim Kyu-sik were Vice Chairmen.
Zhang Ji played a significant role in strengthening Sino-Korean relations through his involvement in organizations such as the New Asia Tongji Society and the Sino-Korean Cultural Association. He also made special efforts in the field of education for Koreans. Notably, in November 1919, he collaborated with Shin Gyu-sik to arrange for Korean students, including Baek Nam-gyu and Heo Jeong, to study in France.
The South Korean government posthumously awarded him the Order of Merit for National Foundation (Independence Medal) in 1968.