Chinese military officer’s poem commemorating Korean patriot

A high-ranking officer in the Chinese military reportedly wrote a poem to commemorate the patriotic deed by Korean independence activist Yoon Bong-gil after Yoon threw a lunch-box disguised bomb at a gathering of Japanese dignitaries and was arrested during the period of Japanese colonial rule.

The Commemoration Service Society Patriot Yoon Bong-gil unveiled on Thursday an article titled "Short Memoir for Korean patriot Yoon Bong-gil" from the Military Magazine No. 46 published in China in 1932. The article was written by Chinese military officer Lin Yi Chang, a high-ranking advisor of the General Staff Office. The poem goes as follows: “Rolling sound of thunder awakened the spring that had fallen asleep. A bomb resolved deep sorrow for the lost country. Yoon’s deed declared sincerity and loyal patriotism across the whole nation of Joseon, the fragrance of him will be cherished for a long time.”

The article also contained Yoon’s place of birth, childhood and acts after taking asylum. The commemoration service society said, “This article has also records that the martyr toured the base of independence armies established in Manchuria (the north-east region of China). It is of great value as a historical material.”