Invitation for Descendants of Overseas Independence Activists
Proposal to Invite Descendants of Independence Activists to Seoul
Honoring of Independence Activists at the National Cemetery and Participation in Liberation Day Events
“The Sacrifices of Our Ancestors Define the Existence of Korea”, ‘”It would be great if the Seoul city government could invite the descendants of independence activists living overseas to bring us all together,”‘,
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, ‘On July 28, 2024, at the last temporary government office of the Republic of Korea in Chongqing, China, this proposal was made by Lee So-shim, the daughter of Independence Activist Lee Dal, to Mayor Oh Se-hoon. Mayor Oh replied, “Since next year marks the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day, it would be even more meaningful, and it would be an honor for Seoul city to host them.”‘,
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At the invitation of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, descendants of independence activists visiting Korea paid their respects at the National Cemetery on the morning of the 13th. They are scheduled to participate in the event prepared by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in celebration of the 80th anniversary of liberation.,
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, “Mayor Oh fulfilled the ‘promise in Chongqing.’ On the 13th, the Seoul city government invited 19 descendants of 11 overseas independence activists to Seoul to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day and to honor the sacrifices of the activists and their descendants. These independence activists were active in places such as China, Manchuria, and Shanghai during the Japanese occupation. However, many passed away in foreign lands without witnessing liberation or being able to return to Korea, so their descendants have established their lives in China.”,
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, ‘Among the visiting descendants are Lee So-shim, the daughter of Lee Dal who collaborated with General Kim Jwa-jin and plotted assassinations in Beijing and Shanghai, Yoo Soo-dong, the son of Yu Jin-dong, the personal doctor of Kim Gu, and Kim Yeon-ryeong, the daughter of the office secretary of the provisional government, Kim Dong-jin. Mayor Oh had personally met these second-generation descendants last year.’,
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, “In particular, Ms. Lee is known as the proposer of the ‘promise in Chongqing.’ During the early 1990s, when urban redevelopment in Chongqing threatened the historical office of the provisional government due to apartment development, she sought assistance from both Korean and Chinese governments to protect the building. Among the third-generation descendants are Yoo Hwa, the grandson of the famous family of three independence fighters, Yoo Gi-seok, and Lee Jeong-hee, the great-grandson of General Choi Jin-dong, who alongside General Hong Beom-do won the Battle of Bongo-dong during the Japanese occupation. Also visiting Seoul is pianist Doo Young-moo, the grandson of independence activist Kim Seong-sook and anti-Japanese feminist activist Doo Gun-hye.”,
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, “After paying respects at the National Cemetery, the descendants visited the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho Memorial Hall and the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, where they paid homage to national patriots and learned about the history of the independence movement. On August 14, the day before Liberation Day, they will have lunch with Mayor Oh and attend the ’80th Anniversary Celebration of Liberation Day’ at the Seoul City Hall multipurpose hall.”,
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, ‘Mayor Oh is personally overseeing support for the families of independence activists. With official state support mostly limited to the third generation, later-generation descendants have found themselves outside these support measures. Since 2020, for the first time among local governments nationwide, Seoul has been providing scholarships to the great-grandchildren and beyond of independence activists. As of this year, the cumulative number of beneficiaries has reached 660. The mayor has also instructed the exploration of unrecognized independence activists from Seoul to ensure they receive appropriate honors, with plans to recommend 500 individuals for honors to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.’,
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, “Efforts to minimize gaps in support for the descendants include amendments to the ‘Seoul Special City Ordinance on Honoring and Supporting Independence Activists.’ Previously, only the activists, their primary heirs, and their spouses were eligible for medical expense support, but now this has been extended to include the spouses of deceased primary heirs. These measures aim to ensure that the honors for the sacrifices of independence activists continue to their surviving descendants.”,
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, “Additional measures have also been taken to enhance support for individuals who have served the nation. From 2022, local governments have raised the ‘Honor Allowance for Patriotic Heroes’ for living independence activists from 200,000 KRW per month to 1,000,000 KRW. In 2023, the ‘Living Assistance Allowance’ provided to national merit individuals and surviving primary family members who are basic livelihood recipients or of low-income status was increased from 100,000 KRW to 200,000 KRW. Last year, the ‘War Veterans Honor Allowance’ was increased from 100,000 KRW to 150,000 KRW per month, and this year, the ‘Patriotic Honor Allowance’ was raised from 100,000 KRW to 150,000 KRW, while the ‘War Veterans Honor Allowance’ for those aged over 80 was raised from 150,000 KRW to 200,000 KRW per month.”,
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, “The scope of the ‘Funeral Honors Service’ for those who dedicated themselves to the nation has also been expanded. Due to budget and manpower constraints, only about 40% of service requests were accommodated, but with this year’s supplementary budget, the related budget has been increased to support approximately 80% of requests, doubling the previous capacity. The Seoul city government has allocated over 1,000 billion KRW for this year to support the over 100,000 national merit recipients and patriotic families.”,
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, ‘Mayor Oh stated, “Thanks to the sacrifices of our ancestors for our nation, the Republic of Korea and Seoul exist today,” and added, “We will continue to honor the noble spirit of independence activists and enhance the respect and support provided to them and their descendants.”‘,
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On July 28 last year, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon met with descendants of independence activists at the Republic of Korea Provisional Government office in Chongqing, China.,
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