Kaneko Fumiko, who fought Japanese rule, commemorated 100 years after her death

A memorial ceremony was held in Sejong City to honor Kaneko Fumiko, a Japanese independence activist, on the 100th anniversary of her passing. The event took place in Buyong-myeon, now part of Sejong City, where Kaneko spent her formative years.

Kaneko Fumiko was born in Yokohama, Japan, in 1903. At the age of nine, she moved to her uncle's home in Buyong-myeon, then part of Cheongju County, Chungcheong Province, and lived there for approximately seven years. Witnessing the 만세 (Manse) demonstrations on March 31 and April 1, 1919, fueled her opposition to Japanese imperialism.

Later, Kaneko moved to Japan, where she met Park Yeol, a fellow activist. Together, they became involved in anti-Japanese activities. Kaneko joined the socialist organization Kokuto-kai in May 1922 and, in April of the following year, co-founded Furensa, an anarchist group. The organization planned to assassinate Japanese leaders, including the emperor, by bringing bombs into Tokyo.

Kaneko and Park Yeol were arrested in September 1923, shortly after the Great Kanto Earthquake. They married while in detention. Kaneko was sentenced to death in March 1926, a sentence later commuted to life imprisonment. She passed away in July of the same year. In recognition of her dedication to the Korean independence movement, the South Korean government posthumously awarded her the Order of Merit for National Foundation (AeGuk Jang) in 2018.

The memorial event, attended by approximately 200 people, included a traditional Korean dance performance, a memorial rite, a poetry reading, and a flower offering. A Japanese delegation of about 40 people also visited Bukang Public Elementary School, where Kaneko studied, as part of a historical site tour. Sejong Mayor Cho Sang-ho remarked that Kaneko's spirit of peace and human rights continues to resonate today, hoping the event would foster unity and cultural exchange among residents.

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Kaneko Fumiko's spirit of peace and human rights resonates greatly with us today.