New York to mark Korean independence fighter

A photo of Yu Gwan-sun, a historic symbol of Korea's fight for independence from 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule. New York State assemblymen will propose a resolution at the joint session of the two Houses soon to designate March 1 “Yu Gwan-sun Day.” March 1 is the day when a massive protest for independence began in 1919. The photo was taken when she was put into Seodaemun Prison by the Japanese authorities. / Yonhap

By Jung Hae-myoung

New York State is likely to commemorate Korea's independent movement from the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule by designating a day for Yu Gwan-sun (1902-1920), a historic Korean woman who led one of the massive independence protests in 1919.

According to the Korean-American Association of Greater New York (KAAGNY), a resolution to designate March 1 as “Yu Gwan-sun Day” will be passed at the joint session of New York State on Jan. 14.

March 1 is when a massive independence protest took place in Seoul in 1919 and spread to many other parts of the country. Then 16-year-old Yu and her classmates took part in the Seoul protest and continued their fight by organizing another massive protest in her hometown of Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, about a month later.

This year marks the 100th year of the March 1 Independence Movement.

“This means New York State also understands the historical significance of the March 1 Movement,” said Kim Min-sun, the head of the KAAGNY. “To commemorate the 100th anniversary, we will continue the work to remind people of the importance of the movement.”

Kim and other members of the association plan to visit New York State Capitol by bus, and be present at the moment significant for both Korea and the United States.

The resolution will be proposed by politicians, all Democrats, including the Senator Toby Ahn Stavisky, Senator John Liu, as well as Ron Kim and Edward Braunstein, Democratic members of the New York State Assembly.

The KAAGNY suggested the designation in avid support of Korean residents of New York. New York State has one of the largest ethnic Korean populations in the United States, with 143,305 Koreans.

Last year, the New York Times also wrote an obituary for Yu, as one of the feature series articles of “Overlooked No More” which portrayed remarkable people who have been neglected in history.

The newspaper introduced Yu's personal history, from her Christian family background to her academic background at Ewha Hakdang, which later became Ewha Womans University, and how she became a young activist to lead the independent movement against the Japanese occupation.

The March 1 Movement “crystallized a sense of national unity and was a catalyst for the resistance,” the New York Times wrote.

Yu died in prison at the young age of 17 in 1920.