Lieutenant Colonel Kim Gap-tae Appointed as '6.25 War Hero' in January Next Year

[Asia Economy Military Specialist Yang Nak-gyu] Army Lieutenant Colonel Kim Gap-tae (1924.10?1952.10, photo) was selected as the 'January 2021 Korean War Hero.'

According to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs on the 31st, Kim Gap-tae, who commanded the "Bloody Hill" battle, was born in Busan and commissioned as the 8th class of the Korea Military Academy in May 1949. In April 1952, he was assigned as the commander of Company 1, 1st Battalion, 22nd Regiment, 3rd Division of the Army (Captain) and was responsible for defending the northern area of Seohwa, Inje County, Gangwon Province, including Wudusan.

At that time, Hill 748 (known as Bloody Hill) and Hill 572 (known as Eagle Hill) around Wudusan were strategic key points. Failure to secure these could threaten the division's main defensive line. Friendly and enemy forces engaged in fierce battles for control of the hills for several days. On October 2, 1952, entrusted with the duties of both Company 1 Commander and Acting Battalion Commander, he led his troops at the forefront and launched a surprise attack to recapture the lost Hill 748. When he was struck down by shrapnel from enemy artillery during the fierce battle, all battalion members charged even more fiercely toward the hill and successfully reclaimed it. He was wounded in this battle and died three days after being evacuated. In recognition of his self-sacrificing spirit and sacrifice in the Hill 748 battle, the government posthumously awarded him the Eulji Military Medal and promoted him two ranks from Captain to Lieutenant Colonel.

For January's independence activists, the Ministry, along with the Liberation Association and the Independence Hall, selected Gi U-man (1846?1916), Park Won-young (unknown?1896), and Kim Ik-jung (1851?1907), who were militia leaders in the Honam region.

Influenced by his Confucian scholar grandfather Gi Jeong-jin, Gi U-man first raised the Honam militia at Jangseong Hyanggyo in February 1896. The militia he led demanded the abolition of the topknot-cutting order, expulsion of Japanese forces, opposition to enlightenment policies, and restoration of the old system. After establishing a base in Jangseong and Naju, they planned a large-scale northward advance from Gwangju to Seoul, but disbanded around spring 1896 following the king's dissolution decree.

Similarly, Park Won-young, also taught by Gi Jeong-jin, immediately joined Gi U-man’s militia upon its formation. After the militia disbanded, he was arrested by the Jinwi Corps and executed. Kim Ik-jung joined the 'Honam Uprising Alliance,' which gathered Honam militias during the nationwide militia uprisings triggered by the Jeongmi Treaty. The alliance militias attacked and occupied Gochang Fortress to establish a stronghold, but Kim died fighting against a Japanese assault attempting to retake the fortress. The government posthumously awarded the three men the Order of Independence and the Order of Patriotism, respectively.

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