Independence fighter's remains repatriated to Korea for burial

The remains of the late Korean independence fighter Chung Doo-ok and his wife Lee Bong-ah arrive at Incheon International Airport, Tuesday, returning home a little over 50 years after he died in Hawaii. Yonhap

The remains of Chung Doo-ok, a Korean independence fighter who campaigned in Hawaii against Japan’s 1910-45 colonization, were laid to rest in Korea, Wednesday, a little over 50 years after his death on the U.S. island.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs held a ceremony for the repatriation and burial of Chung and his wife Lee Bong-ah’s remains at Daejeon National Cemetery, after they arrived in Seoul through Incheon International Airport the previous day.

The burial ceremony took place just a day ahead of Patriotic Martyrs’ Day, which falls on Nov. 17.

Born in 1889, Chung immigrated to Hawaii in 1903 where he actively supported the Korean independence movement against Japanese colonization of Korea through various diplomatic activities in the United States.

In 1914, he served as a delegate for the Korean National Association’s Wailua regional meeting, where he rallied for the establishment of the Korean Independence Army.

In May 1940, he was appointed as the chairman of the Hawaii branch of the Korean Independence Party, established in China, to support the Korean Independence Movement by providing financial assistance.

Following the establishment of the Korean National Association the following year, which was a coalition of Korean independence movement-related organizations across the U.S., Chung served as the director of the propaganda department in the Honolulu branch, actively leading diplomatic and propaganda activities in support of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.

He passed away in September 1972 in Hawaii.

In 1995, the Korean government posthumously awarded Chung the Order of Merit for National Foundation’s Patriotic Medal in recognition of his contributions to Korea's independence.

"The 1945 liberation was achieved thanks to the sacrifice and dedication from noble figures like Chung, who devoted their entire lives to the independence movement even though they were living in distant regions away from their homeland," said Veterans Minister Park Min-shik in a statement.

He also expressed the significance of repatriating Chung's remains and the ministry's commitment to honoring the sacrifice of such patriots.