Chairman Yoon Honggeun Of BBQ: "We Must Not Forget The Sacrifices Of Our Forebears"...Memorial For The 103rd Anniversary Of Kim Sangok's Deed

Joint Memorial Ceremony Honoring 33 Patriots Including Doctor Kim Sangok

Yoon Honggeun, chairman of Genesis BBQ Group, said, "Everything we are doing now is thanks to the achievements of the seniors who took the lead for our country," adding, "We must reflect on the meaning of the independence movement, which has continued as our shared history rather than as the story of individual heroes."

Chairman Yoon made these remarks on the 24th at the "Joint Memorial Ceremony Marking the 103rd Anniversary of Doctor Kim Sangok's Deed," hosted by the Kim Sangok Memorial Association at the Memorial Hall of the Seoul National Cemetery. He went on to emphasize, "We have a responsibility to pass on today's Republic of Korea, which was built through the choices and sacrifices of our forebears, intact to future generations," and added, "I will continue to put this noble spirit into practice so that it can be carried on."

Yoon Honggeun, chairman of Genesis BBQ Group and chairman of the Kim Sangok Doctor Memorial Association, is delivering a greeting at the joint memorial ceremony marking the 103rd anniversary of Dr. Kim Sangok's heroic act. Photo by Genesis BBQ Group.

The Kim Sangok Memorial Association, sponsored by Genesis BBQ Group, the largest chicken franchise in Korea, held a joint memorial ceremony that day to honor Doctor Kim Sangok and 32 fellow patriots who shared his cause.

Doctor Kim Sangok is regarded as a symbolic figure of armed resistance against Japanese rule during the Japanese colonial period. He stood at the forefront of the anti-Japanese struggle by leading the organization of the Daehan Gwangbokdan, engaging in activities of the Innovation Corps, and spearheading the bombing of the Jongno Police Station. In particular, he is remembered as a figure who fought to the very end against the Japanese military and police following the 1923 bombing of the Jongno Police Station.

The Memorial Association has been holding events to commemorate Doctor Kim Sangok's "Victory Day," and this year it highlighted the independence movement as a shared history rather than an individual endeavor by exhibiting photographs of 32 comrades alongside his. During the memorial ceremony, Chairman Yoon called out the names of each independence fighter one by one and introduced their achievements, deeply moving the attendees.

In addition, at the "Ildaechon" venue, a donation ceremony was held in which artist Park Jeongbin presented to the Memorial Association a replica of the Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver used by Doctor Kim Sangok.