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🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Book highlights lives of 27 socialist female independence activists

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Shin Young-sook, director of 'History, Women, Future,' has published a book detailing the lives of 27 socialist female independence activists during the Japanese colonial era.
  • The book, 'Women Who Sang of a New World,' aims to shed light on lesser-known figures and encourage further research into their contributions.
  • It highlights activists like Shim Eun-sook and Jo Won-sook, who were involved in significant women's movements and independence activities.

Shin Young-sook, director of the organization 'History, Women, Future,' has authored a new book, 'Women Who Sang of a New World: Epic Poems of Socialist Female Independence Activists,' aiming to bring attention to the contributions of socialist women who fought for independence during the Japanese colonial period. The book chronicles the lives of 27 such activists, presented in a prose-poem format, with the hope of inspiring deeper academic research.

I wrote the book with the hope of introducing lesser-known socialist female independence activists and encouraging deeper research by future scholars.

— Shin Young-sookExplaining the motivation behind her book.

Among the figures highlighted are Shim Eun-sook, daughter-in-law of the renowned author Hong Myung-hee, who was active in the joint left-right women's independence movement group Gukhoe in 1927, and Jo Won-sook, a prominent figure in the women's movement who was arrested by Japanese police for her active participation in the June 10th Manse Movement in 1926.

Among the 27 women, only Heo Jeong-suk, who held a high position in the North, seems to have lived a full life. Even if they were involved in left-wing activities during the post-liberation period, there is a need for proactive posthumous honors.

— Shin Young-sookReflecting on the lives of the activists and advocating for their recognition.

The book categorizes the 27 women into groups based on their affiliations and activities: Gukhoe-related (10 individuals), labor movement in the 1930s (5), overseas intelligence activities (6), and socialist ideological work (6). Shin emphasizes that many of these women struggled for independence and equality, with few living to see their full lives, except perhaps Heo Jeong-suk, who held a high position in North Korea. Shin advocates for posthumous recognition and honors for these socialist female independence activists, even if they were involved in left-wing activities during the post-liberation period.

Kim Myeong-si, the 'White Horse-riding female general' of the Hwabo Korean Independence Alliance, was a commander of the women's detachment of the Joseon Volunteer Corps and fought on the front lines of anti-Japanese armed struggle. Even the right-wing Dong-A Ilbo called her 'The Joan of Arc of Korea,' but she died in a detention center of the South Korean police in October 1949. She became a victim of the anti-communist ideology in South Korean society.

— Shin Young-sookDescribing the tragic fate of activist Kim Myeong-si.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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