Daejeon National Cemetery Selects Patriot Moon Seokhwan as August Hero

After the Forced Conclusion of the Eulsa Treaty in 1905...
Served as Secretary of the Hongju Righteous Army Unit

Photo by National Daejeon Memorial Cemetery

The Daejeon National Cemetery has introduced the story of patriot Moon Seokhwan, one of the Hongju Nine Martyrs, under the theme "A Heart for the Nation Left on Tsushima Island" as its Hero Story for August.

Moon Seokhwan was born in 1869 in Seocheon, Chungcheongnam-do. When Japan forcibly concluded the Eulsa Treaty in 1905, he joined Min Jongshik's Hongju Righteous Army unit and served as a secretary.

The Righteous Army unit occupied Hongju Fortress on May 20, 1906, but lost it again to the Japanese army on May 31. Moon Seokhwan was then detained on Tsushima Island in Japan along with eight colleagues, beginning his life in exile.

While on Tsushima, Moon Seokhwan met Choi Ikhyeon and Lim Byeongchan. Together with fellow exiles, they composed and exchanged poems to ease the hardships of their exile.

During his exile, when Choi Ikhyeon passed away, Moon Seokhwan took charge of the funeral arrangements as the person responsible for the records. After enduring many hardships in exile, he was released in October 1908 and passed away in 1925.

His literary legacy includes the "Mado Diary" (Madoilgi). This work records conflicts with Japanese officials over issues such as hair-cutting and changes of attire on Tsushima, as well as patriotic poems composed with his companions.

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