Female independence fighters to get Order of Merit

Female freedom fighters of the Korea Revolutionary Women's Alliance, a women's independence movement group, are shown in this black and white photograph. The picture was taken on the alliance's foundation, June 17, 1940, in Chongqing, China. / Courtesy of Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs

By Park Jin-hai

Six female freedom fighters who led the Korean independence movement and 37 others will receive the Order of Merit for National Foundation posthumously on Wednesday on the occasion of the March 1 Independence Movement, according to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.

The six female activists _ Kim Byeong-in, Oh Geon-hae, Lee Hyeon-gyeong, Kim Soo-hyun, Lee Sook-jin and Yoon Yong-ja _ and other patriotic martyrs and independence fighters will receive the honor for their participation in the 1919 Independence Movement against the Japanese occupation (1910-45).

The six honorees established a women's independence movement body, the Korea Revolutionary Women's Alliance, in June 1940 in Chongqing, China, and led the independence movement from there.

Lee was the wife of Cho Seong-hwan, a member of the Republic of Korea government-in-exile, and Yoon was wife of General Ji Cheong-cheon, commander-in-chief of the Korean Liberation Army.

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The women's body mainly supported the provisional government's independence movement and led educational activities.

Maria Hwang, leader of the Korea Women's Relief Society, which led the independence movement in Hawaii starting in 1919, will also be honored with the Order of Merit for National Foundation. Hwang raised money for the provisional government in China and the Liberation Army in China and Manchuria and contributed funds for the families whose members were killed or injured in the March 1 Movement.

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