Osan City Council Awards Honorary Chair Plaque to Chilbo Gong Seok-yun

Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters Bucheon Fire Station's Fire Lieutenant Gong Byung-sam (fifth from the left) is taking a commemorative photo after receiving the honorary chairperson appointment plaque from Osan City Council. Photo by Osan City Council

The Osan City Council in Gyeonggi Province presented an honorary chairman appointment plaque to the late independence activist Gong Seok-yun.

According to the Gyeonggi Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters on the 13th, the Osan City Council posthumously appointed Gong Seok-yun, an independence activist from Osan, as the honorary chairman of the Osan City Council. His great-grandson, Fire Lieutenant Gong Byung-sam of the Bucheon Fire Station, received the honorary chairman appointment plaque on his behalf.

Gong Seok-yun participated in the March 29, 1919 independence movement at Omae Market in Osan during the Japanese colonial period. He was arrested by the Japanese police, endured imprisonment and severe torture, and died for the country in October 1939. Earlier, Gong was awarded a presidential citation in 1995 as an independence activist.

Notably, Gong’s son and grandson both served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War, earning recognition as national merit recipients for three generations, garnering respect from future generations.

Fire Lieutenant Gong Byung-sam, who received the appointment plaque on this day, serves as a firefighter dedicated to public safety and has practiced sharing by achieving 100 blood donations, earning the 'Honorary Medal' for blood donation merit.