Foreigners Who Helped Korean Independence Movement Commemorated with Stamps

Korea Post Headquarters Issues Commemorative Stamps Featuring Scopfield, Shaw, and Other Foreigners for Liberation Day Celebration

Stamps commemorating foreigners who contributed to Korea's independence movement will be issued.

On the 7th, the Korea Post under the Ministry of Science and ICT announced that it will issue 624,000 commemorative stamps themed "Foreigners Dedicated to Korean Independence" on the 14th, marking the 78th anniversary of Liberation Day.

The commemorative stamps feature portraits of Frank William Schofield (1889?1970, Korean name: Seok Ho-pil) and George Louis Shaw (1880?1943). The stamp sheet includes a photo of Schofield at Daehanmun during the March 1st Movement's "Manse" protest and a Dong-A Ilbo newspaper article dated August 11, 1920, reporting Shaw's arrest by Japanese police.

Born in the United Kingdom, Schofield was a Canadian physician and missionary. From the first day of the March 1st Movement in 1919, he took photographs and documented the events, spreading awareness overseas. He also visited the site of the Jeam-ri Church arson massacre and recorded the Japanese military's atrocities in a report. After returning to Canada, he continued to raise awareness of Korea's situation and criticized Japanese imperialism through lectures and articles. After liberation, he returned to Korea to teach veterinary pathology and advocated for Korean human rights and democratization through lectures and media contributions. He was awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1968 and passed away on April 12, 1970. He was buried in the Patriotic Martyrs' Cemetery at Dongjak-dong National Cemetery in Seoul.

Shaw was an Irish-British businessman who operated trade and shipping businesses in Andong County (now Dandong), China, supporting the activities of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. To assist the operation of the secret communication network "Yeontongje" of the Provisional Government, he used ships from his company, Ilryung Trading Company, to help independence activists enter and exit the country and provided them with hiding places, supporting their activities. He was arrested by Japanese police in 1920 and imprisoned for four months. After returning to Andong, China, he continued to support the independence movement until 1938 and passed away in Fuzhou on November 13, 1943. The government posthumously awarded him the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1963.

The commemorative stamps can be purchased at nearby post offices or through the internet post office.