[Korea Root] Seonbi Wife Becomes the 'First Female Uibyeong Commander'

Support for Uihyeong Activity of Father-in-law's Maternal Uncle Yuhongseok

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Approximately 14,300 independence activists have been awarded medals and honors by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. Among them, only about 270 are women, accounting for just 1.8% of the total. Except for a very few female independence activists including Yu Gwan-sun, most remain shrouded in obscurity.

Many female independence activists mainly supported the independence movement by making military uniforms for the independence army and transporting military supplies.

They became key figures in the independence movement themselves, driven by the belief that social status and gender distinctions did not matter in saving the nation, coming from various positions such as students, teachers, merchants, farmers, and gisaeng (female entertainers).

In particular, Yoon Hee-sun (尹熙順, 1860?1935) was Korea’s first 'female militia commander.' She was raised and educated in a Confucian family that valued righteousness and had a naturally upright and intelligent character.

After marrying into the Hwaseo school’s Goheung Yu clan, which laid the foundation for anti-Japanese militias and independence movements, she assisted her father-in-law, Oedang Yu Hong-seok (畏堂 柳弘錫, 1841?1913), in participating in anti-Japanese militia activities.

During the 1930s, when Japanese colonial rule reached its peak, she lost her father-in-law, husband, and even her son, dedicating 40 years to the independence movement before passing away in Manchuria, China.

As a woman, she played the role of an intellectual with progressive and innovative actions for her time, embodying the principle of 'noblesse oblige.' We revisit the noble patriotism of Yoon Hee-sun, a patriotic martyr of the anti-Japanese militia struggle in the Chuncheon region of Gangwon Province. [Editor’s note]

◈ Series Order

① Descendant of the 'Haeju Yoon clan,' Patriot Yoon Hee-sun

② Scholar’s Wife Becomes the 'First Female Militia Commander'

③ Militia Commander Yoon Hee-sun Continues 'Anti-Japanese Activities in Manchuria'

② Scholar’s Wife Becomes the 'First Female Militia Commander'

Statue of Militia Leader Yoon Hee-sun

As soon as Yoon Hee-sun (尹熙順, 1860?1935) married into the family, she was influenced by her scholarly father-in-law, Oedang Yu Hong-seok (畏堂 柳弘錫, 1841?1913), who read mostly materials related to Japanese forces every day. This suggests that the militia songs composed by Yoon were not created casually.

Her husband, Yu Je-won (柳濟遠, 1859?1915), was the secretary to the militia leader Yu In-seok (毅菴 柳麟錫, 1842?1915). Yu Je-won was especially known for his excellent calligraphy.

Yu In-seok was a militia commander who served as the president of the 13-province militia army and was also Yu Je-won’s 'great uncle' (삼종백숙부).

In 1895, when her father-in-law Yu Hong-seok raised a militia, Yoon Hee-sun decided to participate in the anti-Japanese movement as a historical subject herself and actively supported Yu Hong-seok’s militia activities.

She especially urged the soldiers not to act as collaborators with the Japanese troops and encouraged women to join the militia units and participate in support activities.

By supplying food and clothing to the militia and leading women to engage in militia activities, she became the first 'female militia commander' among the late Joseon period’s patriotic independence activists?a role not easy for a woman at that time.

Yoon Hee-sun, along with about 30 women from the Hwaseo school scholar families, organized the Chuncheon women’s militia unit. They took the lead in cooking for the militia with collected grain, washing combat uniforms, manufacturing ammunition and weapons, and aiding wounded soldiers.

Yoon Hee-sun Song Monument (Balsan-ri, Nam-myeon, Chuncheon City) [Guri Cultural Center]

The Hwaseo school refers to the disciples of the late Joseon Neo-Confucian scholar Hwaseo Lee Hang-ro (華西 李恒老, 1868?1972), who engaged in righteous resistance activities against foreign invasions during the late Joseon period.

Among the early and later militia support activities in the Chuncheon region of Gangwon Province, sending proclamations to Japanese military commanders and composing militia songs such as to boost morale stand out.

Militia songs (義兵歌) include , , , , , , and , which were sung by Chuncheon militia and women militia members.

Among these, and were designated as National Registered Cultural Heritage No. 750 in 2019.

is a militia song encouraging women not to just watch the Chuncheon militia’s anti-Japanese struggle but to help and participate in supporting the militia.

〈 An-saram Uibyeongga 〉

No matter how strong the Japanese are,

If we unite, it will be easy to catch the Japanese,

No matter if we are women, how could we not love our country?

No matter the difference between men and women, what use is there without a country?

Let us also go out to join the militia,

Help the militia forces,

If caught by the beasts, will we serve the Japanese rule?

Help our militia,

If our country succeeds, long live our country,

Long live our womenfolk,

- Lyrics by Yoon Hee-sun -

The song warns that if "our king and our womenfolk are tormented, our Korean womenfolk will not just stand by but will also become militia," signaling the rise of women militia.

< Look at the Japanese Commander >

If those guys covet our country, they just come and watch, then leave,

What wrong have we done to you guys?

You use our people to torment our king,

How can you govern our country?

No matter how gentle the people are, do you think they will just watch quietly?

Do not torment our king,

If you torment our king and our womenfolk,

Do you think our Korean womenfolk will just watch quietly?

Our womenfolk will also become militia,

- Lyrics by Yoon Hee-sun -

Additionally, laments the reality of the country and encourages support and participation in the militia, while urges local youth to join the militia and boosts morale with deep patriotism and spirit of national salvation.

Yoon Hee-sun Uisa Eujeokbi (Balsan-ri, Nam-myeon, Chuncheon-si) [Guri Cultural Center]

Yoon Hee-sun composed and sang her militia songs in old Korean script and left records of these songs that were distributed to raise anti-Japanese awareness, which is historically significant.

Kang Dae-deok, director of the Yoon Hee-sun Memorial Project Committee, said, "Her lyrics are not only the first militia songs written in Hangul but also have literary significance as they were composed by the first female militia commander."

He added, "As the only militia song from the early Chuncheon militia, it contains condensed content such as warnings, denunciations, condemnations, and persuasion against the Japanese enemy, which holds great historical significance."

In 1909, when the Japanese colonial government’s Southern Great Suppression policy made militia activities difficult by suppressing militias in the southern regions, some militia forces moved to Manchuria and Primorsky Krai.