STUDENT MAKES HEART-WARMING DONATION

[Anchor Lead]

In 2019, a high school student in Daejeon donated to the state a rare stenographic record of An Jung-geun’s trial. Just recently, he again donated the prize money he had received in a quiz show to help out a freedom fighter’s descendent in the hopes of bringing more attention to independence activists.

[Pkg]

Year 2019 was the centennial of the March 1st Independence Movement. High school student Jo Min-ki and his family mailed to Cheong Wa Dae a package of four historical documents, including the stenographic records of An Jung-geun’s trial. The rare trial document was recognized for its historical value and was donated to the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan. More recently, Jo donated the prize money from a quiz show he won with his father. He wanted to help pay for the medical cost of Ilya Choi, a descendent of independence activist Choi Jai-hyung, who is suffering from a kidney disease. He made the decision the moment he entered the quiz show.

[Soundbite] Jo Min-ki(10th grader, Daejeon Daeshin High School) : "When I won the quiz show, I looked at my father and decided to donate the prize money."

Others joined in, helping Jo and his family raise ten million won in total. The money was recently delivered to a group commemorating Choi Jai-hyung. The latest donation led to the rediscovery of the man behind An Jung-geun’s heroic feat in Harbin.

[Soundbite] Jo Min-ki(10th grader, Daejeon Daeshin High School) : "Through this donation I came to know more about Choi Jai-hyung and related history. It was a meaningful experience."

The commemoration society said that the donation is more valuable as it comes from young students and promised the money will be used to help Ilya stay healthy and finish school in Korea.

[Soundbite] Moon Myeong-suk(Chairwoman of Choi Jai-hyung Commemoration Society) : "These students prompted us to publicize that it is our duty to ensure independence fighters get due recognition and help their descendents."

Jo, a member of his school’s history club, expressed hopes of helping to find more independence fighters from his region.