Gyeonggi Province Invites Descendants of Independence Heroes Abroad to 80th Liberation Anniversary Ceremony

[Suwon Ilbo= Reporter Kim Gap-dong] Gyeonggi Province has invited descendants of independence heroes residing abroad to attend the Liberation Day celebration on August 15 in accordance with the 80th anniversary of liberation theme, "The Light We Regained, Upright and True."

The invited descendants are of Master Huh Wi (1854–1908), Gye Bong-woo (1880–1959), and Yi Dong-hwa (1896–1934), who currently reside in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and China, respectively. The province has prepared this occasion to honor the noble spirit of the independence activists who dedicated themselves to recovering national sovereignty and to express gratitude to their descendants.

Master Huh Wi was a representative righteous army commander who mobilized anti-Japanese righteous armies during the Eulmi Righteous Army period and later consolidated righteous armies across the nation following the Eulsa Treaty.

He gathered righteous armies in the Yeoncheon, Jokseong, and Cheolwon areas to conduct anti-Japanese resistance. In 1907, he joined Master Yi In-yeong's righteous army unit to form the 13-Province Righteous Army, a national confederation of righteous armies, and prepared for the operation to advance on Seoul. Subsequently, he was arrested by the Japanese in 1908 and died a martyr at Seodaemun Prison. The government recognized his achievements and posthumously awarded him the Order of Merit of the Republic of Korea in 1962.

Master Gye Bong-woo was a representative intellectual independence activist who promoted ethnic education and anti-Japanese resistance in North Gando and the Primorsky region. He published anti-Japanese writings including "History of Righteous Armies" in the Independence Newspaper. Even after liberation, he rejected North Korea's repatriation request and remained in Kazakhstan, dedicating himself to Korean language and history research and education. The government recognized his contributions and posthumously awarded him the Order of Merit for Independence in 1995.

Master Yi Dong-hwa, as a member of the Uiyeoldan, learned bomb-manufacturing techniques and led armed anti-Japanese resistance. He also served as a military instructor for the 6th class of the Joseon Revolutionary Military and Political Cadre School before dying a martyr in 1934. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for Patriotism in 2009.

The invitation event will include a total of seven descendants: Huh Vladislav (age 75), grandson of Master Huh Wi; Gye Tatiana (age 75), granddaughter of Master Gye Bong-woo, and her family; and Ju Yong-yong (age 68), granddaughter of Master Yi Dong-hwa, and her family. These descendants will attend the "Gyeonggi Province 80th Anniversary of Liberation Celebration" to be held at the Gyeonggi Arts Center in Suwon on the 15th to commemorate the significance of liberation with residents of the province.

Additionally, to heighten pride as descendants of independence activists, they will visit Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, Yongin Korean Folk Village, Gyeongbokgung Palace, and the Gyeonggi Museum during their stay to gain firsthand experience of their homeland's history and culture.

Jo Byeong-rae, head of the Autonomous Administration Bureau of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "The invitation of descendants of independence heroes abroad demonstrates Gyeonggi Province's resolve to remember the sacrifices of our forebears and to properly inherit the light we have regained. We will continue to promote diverse liberation commemoration projects that can spread correct historical awareness together with our residents."