Latest news with #IndependenceMedal
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- General
- Korea Herald
Mosaic of Independence Heroes
South Korea commemorates the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula on Friday. To honor the Korean independence heroes, The Korea Herald created a mosaic based on the 'Denny Taegeukgi,' the oldest known version of the Korean national flag preserved in Korea, using photographs of 252 recipients of the Republic of Korea Medal, Presidential Medal and Independence Medal kept at the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs' National Institute of Korean History Archives.
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
American missionary awarded state medal posthumously
South Korea announced on Wednesday that it will award a posthumous medal of honor to Geraldine Fitch, an American Methodist missionary, for her strong support of the Korean independence movement during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said it plans to confer an Independence Medal on Fitch on Liberation Day, Aug. 15, the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan. Geraldine Fitch, together with her husband, used their influence and networks to assist key figures in the Korean independence movement during the Japanese colonial period. This included securing refuge and safe passage for leaders such as Kim Ku and other members of the Korean Provisional Government. In 1947, she helped integrate the women's branch of Chung-Ang University into a coeducational institution, a significant step for women's education in Korea. The university later awarded her an honorary degree in recognition of this effort. Her husband, George Ashmore Fitch, received the same state medal in 1968 for his role in aiding the Korean independence movement. A posthumous Independence Medal will also be awarded to Kim Chang-jun, who served in armed resistance groups based in Manchuria and fought in several battles against Japanese forces in the 1920s. He was later arrested by the Japanese and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Kim Sool-keun, another late Korean independence activist, will posthumously receive the Patriots Medal for his service leading the independence movement both in Korea and the US. After the outbreak of the Pacific War, he volunteered to enlist in the US Army for the purpose of aiding the independence movement, serving as a sergeant. A total of 311 awards were announced on Wednesday in recognition of the recipients' contributions to Korea's independence. So far, the country has recognized and awarded 18,569 independence activists since 1949. 'In order to remember and carry forward the noble spirit of independence, those who devoted their very lives to reclaiming our nation, we will strive to discover and honor more independence activists, so that we can remember and pay tribute to their sacrifices,' Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul said in a statement.
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- General
- Korea Herald
S. Korea to honor US missionary for helping independence fighters
South Korea will confer a state medal on a US missionary in recognition of her support for independence fighters, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day, the veterans ministry said Wednesday. The ministry will posthumously award an Independence Medal to Geraldine Fitch, who helped key members of Korea's provisional government on the verge of being arrested by Japanese authorities safely escape during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, according to the ministry. Aug. 15 marks the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation. Her husband, George Ashmore Fitch, previously received the same state medal in 1968 for assisting the Korean independence movement. Alongside Fitch, the ministry will award 310 other people in recognition of their contributions to the country's independence. With the latest recognitions, South Korea has honored 18,569 independence activists since 1949.
