The March 1st movement was one of the most monumental turning points in the Korean Independence effort. Over two million Korean citizens participated in this fight for liberation from Japanese occupation. Though Yu Gwan Sun did not initiate the movement, she undoubtedly served as an incomparable catalyst to its extraordinary growth, lighting a torch of hope for future generations.
This coming March, I will reach the fruitful age of 16. Now, it comes without saying that 16 is a truly game-changing number. At this age, countless students become ecstatic at the thoughts of driving and gaining further independence from their parents. Yet 100 years ago, a 16-year-old Yu Gwan Sun desired far more than to gain independence from her parents. The courageous and undeterred Yu made it her duty to liberate Korea from Japan and its merciless rule over the Korean people. Her tireless endeavors to enlighten the uneducated, break the societal construct of a helpless woman, and lead the single most critical independence movement in Korea’s timeline has forever engraved her name in the depths of Korean history.
The legacy of Yu Gwan Sun is one that has and will stand the test of time. Her nonviolent protests for independence and liberation have placed her in commendable company with civil rights leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. However, her feats are further exemplified through the fact that Yu was a female activist during a time period and culture that looked down upon the education of women. Not only did she stand up to a societal norm designed to restrict her, but she also assembled a grassroots protest that heavily contrasted with other violent protests at the time. It was not uncommon for other independence activists to take up bombing and assassinations as means of fighting back. However, Yu understood that the Japanese were much more fearful of an educated body of people, and she used her “independence gospels” to acquaint Koreans with the Declaration of Independence and peaceful forms of rebellion. Through her two years of distinguished involvement in the Korean movement, Yu brought unprecedented growth and strength to the Korean people and left a lasting footprint that has inspired students, scholars, and leaders across generations.
Yu’s active involvement in the movement initially began on March 5th, during which Yu and fellow classmates participated in a student demonstration before Namdaemun Market. The protestors, including Yu, were arrested but released at the request of foreign missionaries. Following this initial arrest, Yu became more motivated than ever to promote Korea’s independence. Going door to door from churches to schools, Yu urged citizens and residents from her hometown Cheonan to join the protest against the Japanese tyranny. Her speeches and public addresses rallied crowds in the thousands, reminding her listeners that they were under no obligation to suffer beneath Japanese invasion.
On March 31 of 1919, Yu made her way to the top of Maebongsan Mountain where she lit 24 torches to signal Korea’s cry for independence. The 24 torches sparked an impressive “3,000 citizens from Cheonan to gather at Aunae Marketplace.” (Kang, 1) The people rallied for their freedom, waving national flags and shouting, “Long Live Korea’s Independence!” However, the event took a sharp turn for the worse with the retaliation of the Japanese military police. Armed with guns and swords, the police rampaged the non-violent protestors of Cheonan, “killing 19 and injuring dozens more.” (hardcorepainting.com, 1) Yu could only watch helplessly as her neighbors, friends, and parents were slain before her. She was then incarcerated for the second time and faced relentless torture from the Japanese police. However, even prison bars could not stop the great Yu Gwan Sun. Seemingly disregarding her seven-year sentence, Yu continued to protest Japanese rule and even rallied her inmates to celebrate the anniversary of the March 1st Movement. Seeing her stubborn determination to protest, the Japanese further punished the beaten and bruised Yu. (Kang, 2) Nevertheless, Yu’s unfaltering love for her country and people remained unbroken and followed her to the grave. At the adolescent age of 18, Yu tragically passed away from her injuries. Her life served a short but powerful demonstration of sacrifice for a greater good, and Yu has become one of the most recognized martyrs in Korea’s historical timeline. Despite the violence and brutality of her Japanese tormentors, Yu demonstrated a nationalistic devotion to instilling peace and making sure the Korean people did not transform into the harsh Japanese they so wished to liberate themselves from. Though Yu Gwan Sun did not live to see Korea’s finalized independence from Japan in 1945, her unparalleled contribution to the Korean Independence Movement was critical to the Korea that stands before us today.
Over this recent winter break, my family and I happened to visit a Holocaust Memorial in Miami, Florida. Throughout this elaborate construction, we came across one of the very tunnels that led to the infamous gas chambers. Drifting throughout this tunnel was an eerie Jewish song sung by young children and adolescents. The song represented the strength and faith that the Jews possessed, even when incarcerated in concentration camps and facing the brutality of the German soldiers. I found a direct correlation in this to Yu Gwan Sun and her imprisonment in Seodaemun Prison, where the inmates found the strength to sing the renowned “Arirang,” even in the midst of Japanese dominion and cruelty. It is through memorials such as this that highlight the importance of our ancestors and their benefactions to shaping the countries that we live in today. History teaches us the crucial lesson that it is understandable to forgive, but never to forget. It is due to Korean history’s honor and remembrance of the revered Yu Gwan Sun, that I, a 16-year-old in 2019, can reflect and praise her even a hundred years later.

<Henry Ahn 10th Grade Northern Valley Regional HS>