Yeongdeok-gun Holds Memorial Ceremony Honoring General Shin Dol-seok on the 115th Anniversary of His Martyrdom

Commoner Militia Leader Taebaeksan Tiger

Honoring the Spirit of Sacrifice and Patriotism

The "115th Anniversary Memorial Ceremony for General Sindolsok Jangsan," hosted and organized by Yeongdeok-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, and the Sindolsok General Memorial Committee, was held on the 13th at the General Sindolsok historic site.

Yeongdeok County and the General Shindolseok Memorial Committee are holding the 115th anniversary memorial rite.

The memorial ceremony was solemnly conducted with about 100 attendees, including descendants of the general and members of the Memorial Committee. The chief officiant was Kim Gwang-yeol, the mayor of Yeongdeok-gun; the second officiant was Lee Sang-yeop, captain of the Sindolsok submarine; and the third officiant was Seo Jae-chan, chief of Yeongdeok Police Station.

The ritual proceeded with the memorial ceremony followed by the memorial address, then continued with a commemorative performance honoring General Sindolsok and the Yeongneung Uibyeongjin’s patriotic spirit, as well as recitations of memorial poems.

Gwon Hyo-jun, chairman of the Memorial Committee, explained, "The memorial ceremony for General Sindolsok is an effort to widely promote the noble intentions and historical significance of the general and to restore the contemporary value of his life, dedicated to loving the country with his sacrifice."

Mayor Kim Gwang-yeol stated in his memorial address, "The noble patriotic spirit and sacrifice of General Sindolsok, who devoted his life to the nation, laid the foundation for the Republic of Korea to overcome hardships and stand tall in the world. These are values we must inherit and develop. I hope this memorial ceremony will serve as an opportunity to reexamine the value of Yeongdeok-gun’s patriotic culture and pass on his righteous intentions to future generations."

General Sindolsok was born as the son of a commoner in Dogok-ri, Chuksan-myeon. He was an anti-Japanese militia leader who roamed the East Coast and fiercely fought in the independence movement, earning the nickname "Tiger of Taebaeksan." In 1963, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of the Order of Merit for National Foundation.

Yeongdeok-gun and the Memorial Committee hold the memorial ceremony every June, the month of national defense and veterans, to honor General Sindolsok, who devoted his youth to anti-Japanese national salvation activities, and to promote his noble patriotic spirit and brave spirit.

Yeongdeok-gun signed a sisterhood agreement in 2017 with the Sindolsok submarine unit, a 1,800-ton class submarine of the Republic of Korea Navy, and has been conducting events together to commemorate General Sindolsok’s patriotic spirit and love for the country.