The Seoul city government announced on the 13th that it has invited 19 descendants of independence activists residing in China to Seoul.
Those who entered the country on the 12th will participate in events related to the 80th anniversary of Liberation until the 17th. The schedule includes the 80th anniversary celebration of Liberation and a visit to the National Cemetery.
Among the descendants of independence activists visiting Seoul this time are Lee So-sim, the eldest daughter of 'Lee Dal' who conspired to assassinate key figures in Beijing and Shanghai while working with General Kim Jwa-jin, and Yoo Soo-dong, the son of 'Yu Jin-dong', who was the personal physician of Kim Gu, as well as Kim Yeon-ryung, the daughter of 'Kim Dong-jin', who was the secretary in the Provisional Government.
They met with Oh Se-hoon, the mayor of Seoul, in Chongqing, China, last July. At that time, Lee So-sim said to the mayor, "It would be great if the Seoul city government could invite descendants of independence activists living abroad to meet together." In response, Mayor Oh stated, "I will work to see that we can invite them, given the good suggestion." This promise has been fulfilled a year later.
The list of invitees also includes the third generation of independence activists' descendants. Yoo Hwa, the grandson of 'Yu Gi-seok', a well-known independence activist of the three-generation family, has also been named in the invitation list. Following his father 'Yu Chan-hee', who organized the Korean Independence Association and Chongnyeoldae in 1919, 'Yu Gi-seok' continued the independence movement for the second generation and is known for attempting to sink the Japanese military ship Izumo Maru and assassinate the Japanese consular official Gokjeongji in Shanghai with cooperation from Kim Gu and the Korean National Association members. His brother, Yu Gi-mun, also conducted independence activities in Tianjin.
In addition, Lee Jeong-hee, the great-grandson of 'Choi Jin-dong (Choi Myung-rok)', who led the Battle of Bong-o-dong to victory with General Hong Beom-do during the Japanese colonial period, and Du Young-moo, a grandson of independence activist 'Kim Seong-suk' and anti-Japanese women's activist 'Du Gun-hye', who is also a pianist, visited Seoul. Also included are Kim Ryeong-pil, the great-grandson of Kim Gyu-sik, Kim Kwang-nung, the grandson of Kim Bok-hyeong, Jeong Hae, the granddaughter of Kim Eun-chung, Ahn Seong-jin, the grandson of Ahn Chi-sam, and Kwak So-hye, the granddaughter of Lee Dong-hwa.
These descendants of independence activists have settled in China because they were unable to return home after Liberation. Among independence activists who operated in China, Northern Gando, Manchuria, Shanghai, and Chongqing during the Japanese colonial period, many passed away in foreign lands without seeing Liberation.
Mayor Oh Se-hoon stated, "The existence of present-day Korea and Seoul is due to the sacrifices of our nation's ancestors," and added, "In the future, we will honor the noble spirit of independence activists and enhance respect for activists and their descendants."