Young Independence Fighters

[Anchor Lead]

During Korea's occupation by Japanese colonialists, independence fighters on Jejudo Island included young children as well. Here's more on their contributions and sacrifices.

[Pkg]

On May 25, 1920, about one year after the March 1st Independence Movement started a massive independence movement involving young students from what is known today as Jeju Buk Elementary School took place. The vestiges of the students' fight against Japanese aggression can be seen on the walls of the school library, such as the arrests of nine students who staged a strike to demand the expulsion of pro-Japanese teachers in 1928.

[Soundbite] Park Hee-sun(Principal, Jeju Buk Elementary School) : "Honoring the spirit of anti-Japanese resistance and having our students uncover more stories about independence fighters is what we have to do to mark the centennial anniversary of education on Jejudo Island."

When Jeju police issued a ban on Children's Day rallies in the late 1920s some 40 students from Seogwipo were detained by police for holding a protest. Eighteen of them were interrogated. The audacious resistance activities of young independence fighters were documented widely in newspaper articles and books.

[Soundbite] Kim Hwang-jae(Jeju Anti-Japanese History Research Center) : "It was an unprecedented fight with some of the students even throwing stones to demand that their fellow-students be released."

The spirit of independence of boys and girls who fought for their home country one century ago demonstrated that the entire nation was eager to achieve independence.