Tokyo and Waseda Highlighted Except for 'Descendants of Independence Activists'... Japanese Media Introduce Heo Mimi Partially

Descendant of Independence Activist Heo Seok, Heo Mimi
Japan Has No Such Report... Explains "From Tokyo"

Heo Mimi (21, Gyeongbuk Sports Council) has become a topic of discussion after it was revealed that she is a descendant of an independence activist, but a Japanese media outlet introduced her as being from Tokyo, omitting this background.

Judo national team athlete Heo Mimi smiles wearing the silver medal she won in the women's 57kg category at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 30th, the Japanese sports newspaper Sponichi reported on the previous day's 2024 Paris Olympic Judo Women's 57kg final held at the Champs de Mars Arena in Paris, France, stating, "Two competitors with ties to Japan faced off in the final, which went into overtime." Heo Mimi competed against world No. 1 Christina Deguchi (Canada) that day. Regarding Deguchi, they explained, "She is from Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture," and "She changed her nationality to Canada, her father's homeland, and although she was not selected for the Tokyo Olympic team, she confidently secured her spot in Paris as the world No. 1."

About Heo Mimi, they said, "She is a third-generation Zainichi from Tokyo, has the Japanese name 'Ikeda Umi,' and is currently a senior in the Sports Science Department at Waseda University, serving as the captain of the women's judo team." They added, "She has recently made rapid progress, winning her first championship by defeating Deguchi in the final of the World Championships this May, and joined the Korean national team." However, this report did not mention that Heo Mimi is a descendant of an independence activist. Heo Mimi is the fifth-generation descendant of independence activist Heo Seok (1857?1920). In 2021, following her grandmother's dying wish that she compete as a Korean national team athlete, she chose Korean nationality and passed the national team selection the following year, proudly wearing the Taegeuk mark on her chest.

Heo Seok was an independence activist awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation by the Republic of Korea. Bearing a grudge over the loss of national sovereignty, in August 1918, Heo Seok posted a proclamation on a monument in a village in Gunwi County. He wrote, "There are not two suns in the sky, nor two kings for the people. Loyalty means giving your life and exerting your full strength," and "The way to serve parents and the heart to serve the king are no different to us; how could we serve another king?" He continued, "You have come to our country and become the masters of the nation’s affairs; how can the people who lost their country not be in pain, and how can you not be enemies?" and lamented, "We want to destroy you, but we lack the capability to do so."

In 1919, Heo Seok was arrested by the Japanese police and sentenced to one year in prison by the Daegu District Court in May of the same year. According to the verdict, his charge was "posting a proclamation listing seditious phrases, visible to many people, inciting passersby and disturbing public order." He died a martyr at the age of 63 on April 22, 1920, just three days after his release.

Meanwhile, Heo Mimi, who won a medal for Korean women's judo for the first time in eight years since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, said after the match that she felt "really good about choosing the Taegeuk mark this time at the Olympics," adding, "I am proud and happy to have advanced to the final."

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