Last Surviving Female Independence Activist Oh Hui-ok Passes Away at Age 98...

Dedicated to the Independence Movement for Three Generations
Social Funeral Scheduled at the National Cemetery

Patriot Oh Hui-ok, who carried on the independence movement across three generations, passed away on the 17th, the Day of the Patriots and Veterans. She was 98 years old. With the death of Oh, the only surviving female independence activist, there are now a total of five surviving patriots (four in Korea and one overseas).

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced that "Oh passed away after her condition worsened while hospitalized due to chronic illness." The late patriot had been battling illness since suffering a stroke in 2018. The funeral parlor was set up at the Central Veterans Hospital.

Patriot Oh Hee-ok. Yonhap News Agency

Oh joined the Korean Liberation Front Youth Corps in Liuzhou, China, in April 1939 at the young age of 14. She was tasked with gathering intelligence on the Japanese army and helping Korean soldiers within the Japanese forces escape. In January 1941, she was incorporated into the 5th Brigade of the Liberation Army and was also active as a member of the Korean Independence Party at the time. The government recognized her contributions and awarded her the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1990.

Oh’s family was deeply involved in the independence movement, dedicating three generations to the cause. Her father, General Oh Gwang-seon (Order of Independence), was known as a sharpshooter and crossed into Manchuria in 1915, serving as a company commander of the Korean Independence Army and an instructor at the Shinheung Military Academy.

Her mother, Jeong Hyun-sook (Order of Merit for National Foundation), was responsible for secret communications for the independence army throughout Manchuria, and her older sister, patriot Oh Hui-young (Order of Merit for National Foundation), was also a member of the Liberation Army. Her grandfather, militia leader Oh In-su, was captured by the Japanese army while conducting independence activities in Manchuria and elsewhere and endured imprisonment.

Starting this year, the government has decided to provide social support when surviving patriots pass away, to honor their contributions to the country’s independence and to express national mourning. Accordingly, after the funeral on the 20th, Oh will be laid to rest at the Chung-hon Hall in the National Seoul National Cemetery following a state funeral held at the National Seoul National Cemetery Memorial Hall.

To commemorate the late patriot, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs plans to fly flags at half-mast on the day of the funeral, the 20th, at the Ministry’s Sejong headquarters, local veterans offices nationwide, national cemeteries, affiliated public institutions, and veterans organizations.