Hyeon Ik-cheol

Hyun Ik-cheol is born in 1890 from Bakcheon, North Pyongan Province. Right after the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910, He crossed the Yalu River in 1911 and went into exile to the West Jiandao region and gathered his comrades. But things didn't work out for him, so he returned to his hometown.[3] The teacher attempted to forge Bank of Japan notes and use them to fund the independence movement.[4] [5] [6] However, he was discovered and arrested by the Anju Police Station in South Pyeongan Province in 1912. The teacher spent half a year in prison.[7][8] In 1918, he settled in Heunggyeong-hyeon (now Bongcheon-seong (now Liaoning Province). This was a mountainous area, but there were wide plains in between. Many Koreans came here and worked in agriculture. Around this time, the Korean population in Heunggyeong-hyeon showed remarkable development, reaching a whopping 65,000 people. Accordingly, an independence movement organization based on Korean compatriots here was formed and began to show remarkable development. At this time, independence movement organizations formed in Heunggyeong-hyeon included the Korean Association and the Korean Independence Volunteer Corps. In this year, he taught children as a teacher at Heungdong School, an ethnic school in Heunggyeong-hyeon, and joined these organizations and worked as an executive.[9][7][2][10][3]

Meanwhile, in 1919, as the March 1st Movement unfolded widely in Korea and the enthusiasm for the independence movement greatly increased, the teacher made a new decision and moved his activities to the North Gando region, where Korean compatriots were at the center. In particular, he continued the independence movement by participating in the Daehan Military Government (大韓軍政署), widely known as the Northern Military Administration Office in which General Kim Jwa-jin was active. The Daehangunjeongseo was an independence movement organization based on the Daejonggyo lineage and was devoted to the development and training of independence troops with the goal of a powerful war of independence. It was in close contact with the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai and served it. During this process, he realized the necessity of participating in the armed war for independence and decided to receive systematic military education and training.[9][2][5][10][3]

Through the arrangement of the Daehangunjeongseo, at a fairly young age, the teacher entered the branch of Shinheung Military Academy established in Haniha (哈泥河), Tonghwa County, West Jiandao, and took military studies. At the time, Shinheung Military Academy was a huge success with young people coming after the March 1st Movement, and branch schools were established in places such as Haniha, Tonghwa-hyeon and Kwaedaemuja, Childo-gu (七道溝), to train military talent. In the spring of 1919, Shinheung Military Academy moved its main school to Gosanja, Yuha-hyeon, and the former Hapniha School was operated as a branch school with Kim Chang-hwan as principal.[9][2][5]

Afterwards, he participated in the Korean Association, an autonomous organization for Koreans in the Manchurian region, and also joined the West Road Military Government, a central leadership organization for the independence movement in the West Jiandao region, and became involved in the independence movement. However, the Western Military Government was unable to launch a full-scale war of independence due to its own limitations and pressure from the Chinese warlord regime and the Japanese consulate. Accordingly, the teacher gathered a new group of relatively young and energetic people and organized the Gwanghandan, an anti-Japanese armed struggle organization, in Hyangno-gu, Guanzhen County, Fengtian Province, China, in February 1920. About 40 people participated in this organization, including Hyeon Jeong-gyeong (real name 玄炳根), a relative from the same family, Lee Ho-won (李浩源), Kim Seok-seon (金錫善), and Hong Won-kyung (洪元京).[9][2][6]

In particular, in April 1921, the teacher dispatched nine members, including Kim Jun-gyeong, to the country based in Myoja-gu, Gwanjeon-hyeon, and carried out an operation to raise military funds in the Jeongju area of North Pyongan Province . However, they were soon arrested by Japanese police. Therefore, the teacher was wanted by the Japanese and escaped several times, but was eventually arrested by the Japanese police and sentenced to three years in prison. However, after being released from prison in 1924, he crossed the Yalu River again and joined Tonguibu (統義府), an integrated organization of the independence movement in southern Manchuria. At this time, he took on the important role of Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and was mainly responsible for negotiations with Chinese officials, while also working closely with the Provisional Government in Shanghai.[9][11][12][2][5]

As the March 1st Movement took place in Korea in 1919, the enthusiasm for the independence movement increased. The teacher moved his activities to the North Jiandao region, where Korean compatriots were at the center, and participated in the Korean Military Campaign in which General Kim Jwa-jin was active. The Korean military policy aimed to wage a strong war of independence and focused on the training and training of independent troops. Hyun felt the need to participate in the armed independence war. He decided to receive a systematic military education and military training. Accordingly, at the age of 30, he entered the Shinheung Military Academy branch established in Hani River, Tonghua County, West Jiandao, and studied military studies. At that time, there were many young people who came to Shinheung Military Academy after the March 1st Movement. The teacher completed a six-month course at the Haniha Shinheung Military Academy branch.[12][2]

Afterwards, the teacher participated in the Han People Association, an autonomous organization of Koreans in southern Manchuria, and also joined and worked in the Northern Military Administration Office an independence movement organization in the West Jiandao region. Hyeon Ik-cheol gathered 40 young people and founded Gwanghandan, an anti-Japanese armed struggle organization, in Hyangno-gu, Guanzhen County, Bongcheon Province, China, in February 1920. Together with his Gwanghandan comrades, he attacked and executed Japanese colonial exploitation agencies and pro-Japanese activists. He also worked hard to raise funds for the independence movement.[12][2][5][8][10]

In April 1921, he was based in Myoja-gu, Gwanjeon-hyeon, and dispatched nine members, including Kim Jun-kyung, to the country to conduct an operation to raise military funds in the Jeongju area of North Pyongan Province. However, they were caught by the Japanese police. In the end, the teacher was caught by the Japanese police and sentenced to three years in prison. However, after being released from prison in 1924, he crossed the Yalu River again and became active in Tonguibu, an integrated organization of the independence movement in southern Manchuria.[12][2]

In 1931, while going to Bongcheon for diplomatic negotiations, he was caught by the Japanese police and sentenced to seven years in prison by the Sinuiju District Court after a Korean spy tipped them off. When he was released on sick bail while serving a sentence in Sinuiju Prison, he succeeded in escaping to Manchuria again to avoid surveillance by the Japanese police.[2]

He went to Nanjing (南京), where many of the Provisional Government's key figures were staying. Then he arrived in Changsha, Hunan Province with his wife, Bang Sun-hee, and his young son, Jong-hwa, as part of the extended family of the Provisional Government. At that time, the provisional government moved to Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, and conditions were very difficult. The reason the Provisional Government and other important officials went to Changsha was because food was very cheap here and they could communicate and communicate with overseas countries through nearby Hong Kong.[7] He then rebuilt and rejoined the Korean Revolutionary Party.[6] In 1937, when Japan provoked the 2nd Sino-Japanese War and launched a full-scale war of continental invasion, three organizations, including the Korean Independence Party, the Korean National Revolutionary Party, and the Korean Revolutionary Party, and six Korean organizations organized in Hawaii, Mexico, and other places formed the Korean Liberation Advancement Line. A group was formed and the anti-Japanese front was reorganized.[12] Here,he served as an operational executive and worked with his comrades to publish and distribute magazines, leaflets, slogans, etc. He also served as a member of the Military Committee of the Provisional Government.[7][5][8][6][4][3]

When the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea moved to Chongqing, the Korean Liberation Movement also moved to Chongqing and continued its anti-Japanese struggle by supporting the Provisional Government. In the same year, he was appointed as a member of the Military Studies Compilation Committee under the Ministry of Military Affairs of the Provisional Government and worked with Seong-Hwan Cho, Dong-Yeol Yoo, Cheong-Cheon Ji, and Kim Hak-Gyu.[12] As the international situation improved favorably after the Sino-Japanese War, in the spring of 1938, he appealed to those around him for the unification of the Korean Revolutionary Party, the Korean National Revolutionary Party, and the Korean Independence Party, which had similar ideologies. Accordingly, on May 7, 1938, Kim Gu, Ji Cheong-cheon, Yoo Dong-yeol, and others gathered at Nammokcheong at a banquet, where the Korean Revolutionary Party office was located, to discuss the issue of unification of the three parties.[9][6][10][3]

Lee Un-hwan, a member of the Korean Revolutionary Party who had been funded by Kim Gu because he wanted to go on a special operation from Nanjing to Shanghai, suddenly rushed in and fired a pistol. Kim Gu was hit by the first bullet, and the teacher was hit by the second bullet. In addition, Yu Dong-yeol suffered serious injuries and Ji Cheong-cheon suffered minor injuries. Hyeon was seriously injured by a bullet and was taken to the hospital, but died on arrival.[9][2][5][8][4][3]

Hyeon Ik-cheol’s painted portrait by Hyeon's bereaved family

Hyeon Ik-cheol, who had been in and out of prison several times and devoted himself to the independence movement with indomitable fighting spirit for over 20 years, passed away on May 7, 1938, without ever seeing his country liberated in vain.

“He was a bright person and knew a lot. In the past, as the head of the Bureau of Justice and Military Prefecture in Manchuria, he fought fiercely for the independence movement even though he was surrounded on three sides by Japanese pirates, the Communist Party, and pro-Japanese elements under Jang Jak-rim (張作霖).”

— Kim Gu, President of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, Baekbeom Journal.[7]

In honor of the deceased's merits, the government awarded him a posthumous certificate of independence in 1962, and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs selected him as the independence activist of September 2006.[2][8][6][10]

• Korean Independence Movement
• Korean Revolutionary Party
  • Korean Revolutionary Army
• List of militant Korean independence activist organizations
• List of Korean Independence activists
• Righteous Government
• National People's Prefecture