80 years since liberation, first meeting
The Independence Movement of Nameless Heroes

Students, farmers, teachers, journalists, clerks, factory workers,
Elevator boys, irregular workers, housewives, even petty thieves…
All that remains is a card the size of a hand and a verdict.
A record of the small but determined independence movement of 40 ordinary independence activists.

This book is a history of the independence movement of nameless heroes introduced in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of liberation.
It highlights the independence movement of 40 ordinary colonial Koreans whose history is recorded only through their Japanese surveillance cards and verdicts.
Students, teachers, local leaders, tenant farmers, clerks, elevator boys, irregular civil servants, housewives, and even thieves—everyday resistances in colonial Korea, regardless of occupation or status.
This record of small but determined resistance demonstrates that not only the independence movements of specific heroes, but also the small actions of ordinary people can have the power to change the present and history.

Shin Dong-yoon was one of the anonymous crowd that participated in the March 3rd Kaesong Manse demonstration.
Even though they cried out for independence, the Japanese Government-General of Korea was still in good shape and Korean independence seemed far away.
Shin Dong-yoon thought that it couldn't end like this.
I believed that if voices calling for independence continued to be raised not only in large cities like Seoul and Gaeseong, but also in remote rural areas, then something would change.
… On March 17, 1919, Shin Dong-yoon shouted this to the people in the third-class waiting room at Namdaemun Station.
"When you return to your hometowns, shout 'Long Live Korean Independence!' If there are no independence activists in each region, Korean independence cannot be expected!"
--- From "1919 Shin Dong-yoon｜Cries of Manse Resounded in the Third-Class Waiting Room"

Lee Do-won was charged with one more unusual crime.
It was a crime of blasphemy.
In the fall of 1928, Lee Do-won, a sixth grader at Gongju Elementary School, was reading a reference book in the classroom.
At that time, national history meant Japanese history, so it seems to have been a reference book reflecting new research trends in Japanese history.
There was a story about the Imjin War, in which Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded Joseon.
After reading this, Ido-won, unable to contain his anger, opened the page with the picture of the Emperor and Empress of the Japanese Empire, took a red pencil, and crossed out what was there so that it was impossible to tell what was there originally.
How did such a very private matter come to light?
--- From "1928 Lee Do-won | Painting the Emperor's Photograph Red"

The reason I wanted to summon Choi Ik-han, a giant in the independence movement, was to introduce an incident that occurred on July 8, 1932.
This is the incident of the Manse Uprising that occurred during the transfer of prisoners to Daejeon Prison, led by Choi Ik-han.
… On July 8, 1932, an operation to transfer 25 prisoners was carried out under the escort of four guards, including the head guard of Seodaemun Prison.
… (As the 25 prisoners) lined up and passed platform 1, Choi Ik-han suddenly shouted.
“Long live the Communist Party of Korea! Long live the liberation of the Korean people! Long live the independence of the Korean people!” Then the other prisoners joined in the shout.
…it was clear that punishment would follow, but the yearning for independence and revolution bursting from my heart was not calculated at all.
--- From "1932 Choi Ik-han | Making the Prisoner Transport Operation a Failure"

Ham Yong-hwan was born in Hosan-ri, Unsan-myeon, Yeonbaek-gun, Hwanghae-do in the year that the Eulmi Incident occurred.
She married Kim Moon-oh at the age of 14 and lived with him until she received a divine spirit in a dream around February 1932.
It was said that if you pray, you will have supernatural powers to achieve your wishes, such as wealth and having precious children.
This was in my late 30s.
… On March 8, 1937, twelve Samdoists, including Ham Yong-hwan, gathered.
At this point, Ham Yong-hwan said this.
“For the independence of Korea, at noon tomorrow the 9th, we will go to the front yard of the Government-General of Korea, leading the five-pointed star flag that not even enemy bullets can hit us, and shout ‘Long live the independence of Korea’ three times. Each of you, follow my orders.”
--- From "1937 Ham Yong-hwan | Samdo-gyo's Bold Plan Targeting the Government-General"

On May 1, 1940, Jongno Police Station was turned upside down.
This was because subversive graffiti was discovered on the wall of the west bathroom on the third floor of the Government-General of Korea.
“Poor compatriots, rise up! Long live Korean independence!” The Taegeuk mark, a symbol of Korea, was also included.
Although it was written in Japanese, it was clear to anyone that it was written by a Korean.
…The culprit was 18-year-old Choi Yeong-sun, an elevator operator working at the Government-General of Korea building.
…each elevator was assigned a so-called ‘elevator boy’.
Choi Young-sun was in charge of general use.
He commuted to and from work at Tonginjeong, ferrying key colonial officials up and down the road every day.
--- From "1939 Choi Young-sun | The Elevator Boy Who Left Subversive Graffiti"

Although Lee Je-guk was born in the golden land of Junghak-cho (now Junghak-dong) in Gyeongseong-bu, he was poor.
He attended elementary school until the 5th grade, but dropped out in March 1931 due to financial difficulties.
After that, unfortunately, he chose the life of a thief.
He served time in prison for theft in 1933 and for burglary and theft in 1937.
He was a so-called petty criminal.
… Lee Je-guk, who met Oh Dong-jin, was scolded.
"As a young Joseon man, shouldn't you consider being executed for a crime like the independence movement as your ultimate goal, rather than a heinous crime like theft?" Lee Je-guk felt ashamed by the words of this formidable independence activist and reflected deeply.
--- From "1940 Lee Je-guk | From a mere thief to an independence activist"

April 30, 1941 was the day when female members of the Labor Service Corps in Dongho-dong, Donghae-myeon, Gilju-gun, North Hamgyong Province were mobilized for the '1st Road Repair Work'.
However, something caught the eye of police officer Yuchon Du-mak, who was patrolling the construction site.
What caught his eye was a woman wearing geta.
… For the young bride, Hyun-Ryeol Hyeon, the notice to attend the Labor Service Corps must have been a very annoying thing.
I already had a mountain of chores to do, like cooking and doing laundry, so why were they calling me out for some damn road construction? And if I had a child to look after on top of that, I would be even angrier.
So, with a hint of rebellion and a nonchalant attitude, Hyun-chul went to the construction site wearing geta sandals.
--- From "1941 Cash Flow | A Newlywed Who Embarked on a Labor Service Mission"

Lee Sam-cheol, who had turned 17, lived and slept in the store's dormitory, visiting regular customers to take orders and running errands.
…while I was taking orders, Korean came out.
Born into a Korean family in a mountain village in Goesan County, Lee Sam-cheol was not able to receive formal Japanese education and would not have been familiar with Japanese.
Tsuru was very upset with Lee Sam-cheol's words and actions that mixed Japanese and Korean, and warned him about the proper use of Korean (Japanese).
However, Lee Sam-cheol did not tolerate the scolding.
“What’s wrong with Koreans speaking Korean? I’m not Japanese.
“I am Korean, so I speak Korean!”

--- From "1942 Lee Sam-cheol｜Because I am Korean, I speak Korean"