Patriot Oh Seong-gyu Returns to Homeland: "I Must Die in My Motherland"

Oh Seong-gyu (100), a patriot from the "Korean Liberation Army 3rd Detachment," has returned to his homeland from Japan.

Image source=Yonhap News

On the 13th, Mr. Oh arrived at Gimpo Airport on Korean Air flight KE2106, accompanied by a government delegation including Park Min-sik, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.

Mr. Oh said, "I am so deeply moved that I am at a loss for words. I am grateful," adding, "I could not have died in Japan. One must die in their own country..." As the Ministry of National Defense honor guard lined up on both sides and the national anthem was played, Mr. Oh saluted the Taegeukgi.

The Korean Children's History Choir sang the "Song of the Korean Liberation Army 3rd Detachment," which Mr. Oh used to sing during his service in the Liberation Army.

After the welcoming ceremony, Mr. Oh, escorted by police, moved to the National Seoul National Cemetery and reported his return to the homeland at the grave of General Kim Hak-gyu, commander of the Korean Liberation Army 3rd Detachment (Independence Patriots' Cemetery No. 50).

Born in 1923, Mr. Oh was involved in anti-Japanese movements centered around Donggwang Middle School in Fengtian, Manchuria, China during the Japanese colonial period. When the Japanese exposed their organizational network, he escaped Manchuria and joined the Korean Liberation Army 3rd Detachment in Anhui Province, China, continuing his independence activities. In May 1945, while undergoing joint Korean-American special training (OSS training) for an invasion of Korea, liberation was achieved. After liberation, he devoted himself to protecting Korean residents abroad and was awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation, Patriotic Service Medal in 1990.

Mr. Oh, who had been residing in Japan, expressed his desire to spend his final moments in his homeland, prompting a government delegation to visit Japan and bring him back. With Mr. Oh’s permanent return to Korea, the number of domestic independence patriots will become eight, leaving only Lee Ha-jeon, a patriot residing in the United States (awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation, Patriotic Service Medal in 1990), as an overseas independence patriot. Mr. Oh plans to undergo a health checkup at the Seoul Central Veterans Hospital on the 14th and attend the 78th anniversary celebration of Liberation Day on August 15.

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