'Independence fighters paved way for Air Force'
Hong Sun-pyoBy Jun Ji-hye South Korea officially established its Air Force on Oct. 1, 1949, four years after its liberation from Japan’s colonial rule. This establishment, however, did not happen suddenly, but was a result of the strong will and constant efforts of independence fighters in the early 1900s, according to a researcher on the independence movement.Hong Sun-pyo, Ph.D., a senior researcher at the Institute of Korean Independence Movement Studies, said members of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, which was born out of the March First Independence Movement of 1919, began to make efforts to establish an air force and nurture pilots. The institute is an affiliate of the Independence Hall of Korea.“Members of the Shanghai provisional government envisioned the formation of an air force as part of their efforts to prepare for the anti-Japanese war,” Hong said in a recent interview.Hong explained that the initial charter of the provisional government, announced on April 25, 1919, only referred to an army and a navy when explaining the role
Nov 26, 2014By Jun Ji-hye