The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, led by Minister Kwon O-eul, said April 30 it selected Lee Jae-yu (Order of Independence, 2006), Kim Sa-guk (Patriotic Medal, 2002) and Kang Ju-ryong (Patriotic Medal, 2007) as the “May 2026 Independence Activists” for their efforts to improve harsh working conditions for Korean laborers amid Japanese colonial-era discrimination.
The government posthumously awarded Lee the Order of Independence under the Order of Merit for National Foundation, and awarded Kim and Kang the Patriotic Medal under the same order, to honor their contributions.
Lee (1905-1944) joined the labor movement while studying in Tokyo, working to organize Korean workers’ groups and pursue national independence and labor rights. In Seoul, he formed the “Gyeongseong Troika,” organizing worker and farmer groups and guiding student activism through reading circles as part of broader anti-Japanese efforts to build a foundation for independence.
Despite repeated arrests and imprisonment, Lee refused to recant and died in 1944 at the Cheongju Protective Prison.
Kim (1895-1926) was arrested and served time in 1919 while preparing the Joseon National Assembly to establish the Hansung Government. After his release, he took part actively in youth movements, traveled between Korea and Japan to organize labor groups, and stressed national unity.
Kim also devoted himself to national education, establishing the Dongyang Academy affiliated with Daeseong Middle School in Gando, then fleeing Japanese repression and founding the Daedong Academy in Ningguta, Manchuria. His health deteriorated in 1924, and he returned to Korea and died at age 31.
Kang (1901-1932), a worker at the Pyeongwon Rubber Factory in Pyongyang, drew public attention during a 1931 strike protesting wage cuts for Korean workers by staging what became known as the “Eulmildae rooftop protest,” calling for workers’ rights and rallying solidarity and public support.
Kang was later arrested on suspicion of involvement in a Pyongyang labor union case. Her health worsened while she continued to resist in prison; she was released on medical bail but died at age 31.
The ministry said Korean workers at the time faced low pay and long hours, along with colonial oppression, exploitation and ethnic discrimination, and that labor activism evolved beyond a fight for survival into resistance aimed at national independence. It said the anti-Japanese labor movement helped drive broader social change and laid the groundwork for the modern labor movement.
The government posthumously awarded Lee the Order of Independence under the Order of Merit for National Foundation, and awarded Kim and Kang the Patriotic Medal under the same order, to honor their contributions.
Lee (1905-1944) joined the labor movement while studying in Tokyo, working to organize Korean workers’ groups and pursue national independence and labor rights. In Seoul, he formed the “Gyeongseong Troika,” organizing worker and farmer groups and guiding student activism through reading circles as part of broader anti-Japanese efforts to build a foundation for independence.
Despite repeated arrests and imprisonment, Lee refused to recant and died in 1944 at the Cheongju Protective Prison.
Kim (1895-1926) was arrested and served time in 1919 while preparing the Joseon National Assembly to establish the Hansung Government. After his release, he took part actively in youth movements, traveled between Korea and Japan to organize labor groups, and stressed national unity.
Kim also devoted himself to national education, establishing the Dongyang Academy affiliated with Daeseong Middle School in Gando, then fleeing Japanese repression and founding the Daedong Academy in Ningguta, Manchuria. His health deteriorated in 1924, and he returned to Korea and died at age 31.
Kang (1901-1932), a worker at the Pyeongwon Rubber Factory in Pyongyang, drew public attention during a 1931 strike protesting wage cuts for Korean workers by staging what became known as the “Eulmildae rooftop protest,” calling for workers’ rights and rallying solidarity and public support.
Kang was later arrested on suspicion of involvement in a Pyongyang labor union case. Her health worsened while she continued to resist in prison; she was released on medical bail but died at age 31.
The ministry said Korean workers at the time faced low pay and long hours, along with colonial oppression, exploitation and ethnic discrimination, and that labor activism evolved beyond a fight for survival into resistance aimed at national independence. It said the anti-Japanese labor movement helped drive broader social change and laid the groundwork for the modern labor movement.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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