Thousands of Independence Medals Unclaimed as Descendants Remain Unfound

More than 7,600 medals recognizing the contributions of Korean independence activists have yet to be awarded because their descendants cannot be located. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs reported that these medals, including the Order of National Foundation, the Presidential Commendation, and the Prime Minister's Commendation, have been conferred but remain undelivered to the families of 7,622 individuals.

Geographically, Gyeonggi Province has the highest number of unclaimed medals, with 547 recipients. Other provinces with significant numbers include Chungnam (456), Jeonbuk (412), Gyeongbuk (371), and Gangwon (347). Notably, even after excluding cases where the individuals were from North Korea (3,026) or their original domicile is unconfirmed (1,479), approximately 40% of those with confirmed South Korean roots remain untraceable.

Difficulties in locating descendants stem from various factors. Many independence fighters concealed their identities during their activities, some died at a young age without leaving children, and in other cases, their patriotic deeds were not passed down through family lines. Over 80 years have passed, making the verification of related records and family relationships increasingly challenging.

For instance, Kim Su-min, who led an 의병 (righteous army) against Japanese rule and was martyred, was posthumously awarded the Order of National Foundation, Independence Class in 1962. However, his descendants have not been found, leaving the medal unclaimed for 64 years. Similarly, Ahn Gyeong-suk, who raised funds for the 의병 in Yangju and Pocheon and was martyred, was recognized this year with the Order of National Foundation, Patriotism Class, 118 years after her death, but neither her descendants nor the location of her grave are known.

To address this issue, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs initiated a project in 2007 to find descendants of overseas independence activists. Since 2018, a 'Committee for the Confirmation of Descendants of Independence Patriots' has been operating, comprising experts in history, genealogy, and family law. However, some suggest that more systematic and focused investigations are necessary beyond the existing efforts.