Descendants of Overseas Independence Activists Become 'Koreans'

Overseas Descendants of 12 Independence Patriots Including Teachers Park Chan-ik and Kang Ki-woon, Totaling 21 People

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Descendants of independence activists from the Japanese colonial period residing overseas have acquired South Korean nationality.

On the 12th, the Ministry of Justice awarded South Korean nationality certificates to 21 individuals, including 14 ethnic Koreans from China who are descendants of 12 independence activists who fought against Japanese colonial rule, in commemoration of the 75th Liberation Day.

The awarding ceremony was held to honor the sacrifices and patriotism of the independence activists and to commemorate the new beginning of their descendants as South Korean citizens by granting them nationality. According to Article 7 of the Nationality Act, 21 descendants of independence activists who obtained special naturalization permission after their direct ancestors received medals or commendations from the South Korean government for their independence contributions attended the event.

By nationality, there were 14 from China, 2 from Russia, 4 from Kazakhstan, and 1 from Cuba. Among them were descendants of notable figures such as Park Chan-ik, one of the 39 national representatives who founded the 'Korean Independence Army Headquarters' in 1919 and participated in the proclamation of the 'Declaration of Korean Independence'; Ahn Hong, who served as the commander of the Liberation Army General Headquarters in southern Manchuria, China, in 1922; and Kang Ki-woon, who eliminated three Japanese spies including Lee Deok-seon in 1920 and raised military funds.

At the event, Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae stated, "Awarding nationality certificates to descendants of independence activists serves as a bridge connecting the past, present, and future," adding, "Honoring the noble spirit of sacrifice of the independence activists and remembering history will be a source of strength to overcome disasters and crises and will be the driving force to prepare for and create the future."

Kim Won-woong, President of the Liberation Association, also expressed, "I sincerely welcome the descendants of independence activists returning to the embrace of their homeland and hope that our nation, divided by foreign powers, will unite its autonomous capabilities to build the 'unified and dignified country' that the independence activists dreamed of."

Meanwhile, since 2006, the Ministry of Justice has awarded nationality certificates to a total of 365 descendants of independence activists over 14 sessions.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.