Member Column-Remembering Korean War Sacrifice
Editor’s Note: LWer Grace Kim gave the following address at the Korean Veterans Association commemoration of the 78th anniversary of Korean Liberation Day on Aug. 15.
Good afternoon. I would like to welcome each and every one of you to this most exciting and unforgettable 78th Korean Liberation Day celebration.
And I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Mr. Paul Lee and his Leisure World team for organizing today’s celebration.
The Korean peninsula was constantly invaded by Russia, China and Japan, then Japan colonized Korea for 36 years.
During the Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945, more than 140,000 people were arrested and many fled to Russia, China and the United States.
A provisional Korean government- in-exile was established in Shanghai, China, in April 1919 after the March 1, 1919, Independent Movement demonstration.
Three million participated in the demonstration; 7,500 died; 16,000 were injured and 46,000 were arrested and detained. They were all fighting for Korean independence.
Many religious leaders, students and community leaders participated in the demonstration.
My husband’s maternal grandfather, Rev. Ha Ryung Choo (1885-1942) was a Presbyterian seminary student at that time and got involved in this demonstration. And he was arrested and put in prison for a year. He was tortured so badly, he almost died. He was released and came home, but he was so sick that he could not return to school for awhile.
During World War II, young men and women were drafted to serve in the army. They were forced into hard labor. Young women were used as comfort women, sex slaves for Japanese soldiers, and students were sent to factories to produce military uniforms and weapons.
At the end of World War II in August 1945, Korea was liberated from 36 years of Japanese colonization. But after disarming Japanese soldiers, the Soviet Union did not leave North Korea and helped North Korea establish a Communist government. That is why Korea was divided at the 38th parallel.
Three million Christians and community leaders fled North Korea to South Korea. In doing so, they became traitors to the North Korea communist government. South Korea established a democratic government in 1948.
On June 25, 1950, the Korean War began with a surprise attack by North Korea. The Soviet Union and China helped North Korea in an attempt to unify Korea as a communist country.
The United States and 16 UN countries fought for South Korea’s freedom and independence.
The Korean War is not a forgotten war, and we are always thankful for your sacrificial love for Korean independence and freedom. We hope that we can see a peacefully unified democratic country in our lifetime.
The Korean government contacted my husband and recognized him as a grandson of Rev. Ha Ryung Choo and awarded him. We decided to send this monetary award to Korean Saemoonan Church for its sanctuary extension project. My husband’s sister-in-law was a pastor of that church and also Rev. Ha Ryung Choo was a frequent guest preacher there.
