Remembering the brothers who fought for Korean independence
Lee Jong-chan, center, chairman of the Woodang Scholarship Foundation, poses with guests at the Seoul Museum of History in Seoul, Thursday, a day before the opening of an exhibition featuring six brothers who fought for Korean independence. The guests include Song In-ho, fourth from left, the director of the museum, and Lee Jong-gul, third from left, a lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). / Courtesy of Woodang Scholarship Foundation
By You Soo-sun
An exhibition showcasing the lives of six brothers who fought for Korean independence during Japanese rule in Korea began Friday at the Seoul Museum of History in Jongno-gu, central Seoul. Born to a prosperous family, the six activists are best known for spending their entire family fortune to fight against the Japanese occupation.
The exhibition was organized by the Seoul Museum of History and the Woodang Museum as this year marks the 150th year since the birth of Lee Hoe-yeong (1867-1932) _ the most renowned among the brothers. A ceremony commemorating the opening of the exhibition was held Thursday in front of the exhibition hall.
Descendants of the brothers, including Rep. Lee Jong-gul of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) joined the event. Lee expressed his gratitude to the museum and related organizations, welcoming their efforts to publicize the acts of all six brothers.
Although Lee Hoe-yeong is the most widely known, his brothers also played influential roles in the independence movement. Their names, from eldest to youngest, were Lee Gun-yeong, Lee Seok-yeong, Lee Cheol-yeong, Lee Hoe-yeong and Lee Si-yeong.
Born in Seoul, the brothers fled Korea to China, where they established a foreign base for activists. They also established a school which nurtured 3,500 activists over 10 years, paving the way for Korea’s independence.
Lee Si-yeong was the only one to have returned alive on the day of independence. He served as the first vice president of the liberated nation.
Lee told The Korea Times that he believes Korean society should reinterpret their anarchist ideology to align with their goals for the future.
“In the 21st century, a time of globalization, the new political vision may encompass a third path that overcomes both a socialist society without freedom and a capitalist society that is without equality.”