“Uphold the Spirit of Sacrifice of Yi Bong-Chang Martyr to Overcome National Turmoil“

The commemoration ceremony for the 70th anniversary of Yi Bong-Chang Martyr`s heroic deed was held at the graveyard of Yi Martyr in Hyochang Park, Hyochang-dong Yongsan-ku, Seoul on the 8th.

The Yi Bong-Chang Martyr Memorial Foundation hosted the ceremony in order to eulogize Yi Martyr who tried to bomb the Japanese emperor Hirohito on January 8th, 1932.

Kim Jin-Hyun, chairperson of the Memorial Foundation, said in his address, "Yi Martyr sacrificed himself in pursuit of not his own happiness, but the eternal happiness of the nation, and he lived a life of tolerance and generosity. We should uphold the spirit of Yi Martyr`s sacrifice as our model in these times when falsehood and violence thrive."

Yoon Kyung-Bin, chairperson of Daehan Kwangbokdan, emphasized in his address, "What Yi Martyr did in Tokyo, the center of Japanese imperialism, became the paragon of the history of the independence movement. We should make the 21st century the age of national unity and prosperity in response to the will that Yi Martyr displayed."

Around 200 people attended the ceremony including Kim Woo-Jeon, chairperson of Korean Independence Army Comrades, Park Yoo-Cheol, director of the Independence Memorial Hall, Shin Yong-Ha, professor at Seoul National University, Han Si-Joon, professor at Dankuk University, and Kim Hak-Jun, owner of Dong-a Ilbo.

Kwawg-Pyo Lee kplee@donga.com