Oh Hee-ok (Korean: 오희옥; 1926 – November 17, 2024) was a Korean independence activist, and the last surviving female independence activist recognized by the South Korean government.[1][2] A member of the Korean Liberation Army and the Korea Independence Party, she resisted the Japanese occupation of Korea while in exile in China.[3][1]
Oh Hee-ok | |
|---|---|
오희옥 | |
 | |
| Born | 1926 Emu Town, Jilin, Republic of China |
| Died | (aged 98) Seoul, South Korea |
| Resting place | Seoul National Cemetery |
| Awards | Order of Merit for National Foundation (1990) |
Biography
editBorn in Emu Town, Jilin, Republic of China (now in Jiaohe, Jilin, China)[4] in 1926 whilst her family was in exile in Manchuria,[5] she was the daughter of independence activists O Kwangsŏn and Chŏng Hyŏnsuk (정현숙).[3][5][2] Her grandfather, O Insu (오인수), was also an independence activist.[2][5] Oh joined the Korean Liberation Front Youths Mission Corps (한국광복진선청년공작대) in April 1939. She performed some espionage work for them.[1][2] In January 1941, her group was merged into the Korean Liberation Army.[2] Upon the 1945 liberation of Korea, she was in Chongqing, along with the rest of the Korean Provisional Government.[5]
After the 1950–1953 Korean War, she worked for 38 years as a primary school teacher.[6] She had one son and two daughters.[1]
In 1990, Oh was awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation from the South Korean government.[1] In 2017, she sang the national anthem at a National Liberation Day of Korea ceremony, which was attended by president Moon Jae-in.[6] In 2021, she became the last surviving female Korean independence activist, after the death of Min Yeong-ju (민영주).[1]
She died on November 17, 2024, at around 3:08 p.m.,[1][7] at Seoul Veterans Health Service Medical Center (서울중앙보훈병원). Coincidentally, she died on Patriotic Martyr's Day, which commemorates Korean independence activists.[2] A memorial ceremony was held for her at Seoul National Cemetery on November 20.[7] The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs lowered their flags to half mast around the country in her honor.[6] Her remains were interred at that cemetery thereafter.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g 이, 유정; 이, 근평 (November 17, 2024). "[단독] '3대가 독립운동' 오희옥 지사 영면…국내 생존자 4명으로". 중앙일보 (in Korean). Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f 최, 원정; 이, 영섭 (November 20, 2024). 동지 곁에 잠든 마지막 여성광복군…오희옥 지사 빗속 영결식(종합). Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved November 20, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Last surviving female member of the Korean Liberation Army interned at Seoul National Cemetery". Korea JoongAng Daily. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
- ^ "[마지막 애국가] 여성광복군 오희옥 '백년의 독립투혼'이 지다". 더뷰스 (in Korean). November 19, 2024. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
- ^ a b c d ""'독립투사 삶 인정해달라' 하면 '돈 때문에 저런다'고…"". Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). August 13, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
- ^ a b c Moon, Ki-hoon (November 18, 2024). "Oh Hee-ok, last female Korean independence fighter, dies at 98". The Korea Herald. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ a b '마지막 여성 광복군' 오희옥 애국지사 별세… 향년 98세. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). November 17, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
External links
edit- 열네 살의 여성 독립군 오희옥 on YouTube – A documentary about Oh by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs