Sergeant Major Roland Gabrilloff of the French Army Named July Korean War Hero

The Gwangbokhoe Organization, Founded in 1915,
Selected as the Independence Movement of the Month for July

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced on June 30, 2025, that it has selected Sergeant Major Roland Gabrilloff of the French Army as the Korean War Hero of the Month for July 2025.

Sergeant Major Gabrilloff was born in 1926 in Amneville, France, and enlisted in December 1944, during the final phase of World War II. In March 1951, he volunteered to be dispatched to the Korean War, and the following year, he arrived in Korea as a member of the United Nations French Battalion, where he was appointed as the battalion headquarters engineer platoon leader.

At that time, the United Nations French Battalion was attached to the 23rd Regiment and engaged in combat with Chinese forces in the Cheorwon area of Gangwon Province. On October 3, 1952, while defending Arrowhead Ridge, the French Battalion received intelligence that a large-scale Chinese attack was imminent and deployed the engineer platoon to the left forward outpost of the ridge.

On the night of October 6, following intense Chinese artillery bombardment on the Baekma Ridge and Arrowhead Ridge areas, a large enemy force launched an assault on the engineer platoon. Sergeant Major Gabrilloff drew his bayonet and engaged in close-quarters combat with the enemy. During the battle, when the French battalion commander ordered over the radio to "hold the position," Gabrilloff replied, "Do not worry, Commander. We will hold out," before he was killed in action.

In this battle, 20 members of the engineer platoon were killed. Thanks to their efforts in breaking the initial momentum of the Chinese forces, the French Battalion was able to hold the ridge and achieve victory during the ensuing three days of combat. In recognition of Sergeant Major Gabrilloff's military spirit and dedication, the French government posthumously promoted him from sergeant to sergeant major and awarded him the Legion of Honour, France's highest decoration.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has selected the "Gwangbokhoe Organization" as the Independence Movement of the Month for July 2025. Gwangbokhoe was founded in 1915 at Dalseong Park in Daegu. It was an organization formed by those who had participated in the Righteous Army Movement and the Enlightenment Movement during the late Joseon period. Gwangbokhoe aimed to overcome the limitations of armed resistance and capacity-building through enlightenment, to train independence fighters, and to wage war against Japanese rule in order to achieve national independence.

In December of that year, Gwangbokhoe established the Jilin Gwangbokhoe in Jilin, Manchuria, as a base for training independence fighters, and set up branches in all eight provinces of Korea to expand its membership and broaden the foundation of the independence movement. In order to secure the large sums needed for training independence fighters and armed struggle, the organization not only collected property donations from its members, but also raised military funds through various active methods such as attacking Japanese postal carriages to seize tax money and soliciting donations from wealthy individuals nationwide.

From January 1918, due to large-scale repression by Japanese authorities, many members of Gwangbokhoe were arrested, leading to the organization's effective dissolution. Key figures such as Kim Hanjong (1963, Order of Merit for National Foundation), Kim Kyungtae (1963, Order of Merit for National Foundation), Park Sangjin (1963, Order of Merit for National Foundation), and Chae Gijung (1963, Order of Merit for National Foundation) were sentenced to death and died for their cause. However, the spirit of Gwangbokhoe was carried on by subsequent independence organizations such as Jubidan and the Gwangbokdan Death Squad after the March 1st Movement in 1919, ensuring the continuity of the independence movement.