Veterans minister thanks US assemblymember for raising awareness on independence fighter

Veterans Minister Kang Jung-ai, right, and a member of the New York State Assembly Ron Kim pose at the ministry's office in Seoul, in this photo provided by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Sept. 30. Yonhap

Veterans Minister Kang Jung-ai on Monday presented a plaque to Ron Kim, a New York State assemblymember, in recognition of his efforts to raise awareness about Korea's independence movement and independence fighter Yu Gwan-sun (1902-20), Kang's office said.

In a ceremony held in Seoul during Kim's visit to the country, Kang thanked the state assemblymember for leading legislative efforts to designate "Yu Gwan-sun Day" in New York earlier this year, according to the veterans ministry.

Yu is a national hero who died in prison at age 17 after taking an active part in the March 1 independence movement during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.

In 2019, Kim also played a central role in helping designate a day marking the 100th anniversary of the resistance movement against Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, according to the ministry. (Yonhap)