Oh Hee-ok
Korean independence activist (1926–2024)
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Oh Hee-ok (Korean: 오희옥; 1926 – November 17, 2024) was a Korean independence activist, and the last surviving female independence activist recognized by the South Korean government.[1][2] A member of the Korean Liberation Army and the Korea Independence Party, she resisted the Japanese occupation of Korea while in exile in China.[3][1]
Oh Hee-ok | |
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오희옥 | |
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| Born | 1926 Emu Town, Jilin, Republic of China |
| Died | (aged 98) Seoul, South Korea |
Resting place | Seoul National Cemetery |
| Awards | Order of Merit for National Foundation (1990) |
Biography
Born in Emu Town, Jilin, Republic of China (now in Jiaohe, Jilin, China)[4] in 1926 whilst her family was in exile in Manchuria,[5] she was the daughter of independence activists O Kwangsŏn and Chŏng Hyŏnsuk (정현숙).[3][5][2] Her grandfather, O Insu (오인수), was also an independence activist.[2][5] Oh joined the Korean Liberation Front Youths Mission Corps (한국광복진선청년공작대) in April 1939. She performed some espionage work for them.[1][2] In January 1941, her group was merged into the Korean Liberation Army.[2] Upon the 1945 liberation of Korea, she was in Chongqing, along with the rest of the Korean Provisional Government.[5]
After the 1950–1953 Korean War, she worked for 38 years as a primary school teacher.[6] She had one son and two daughters.[1]
In 1990, Oh was awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation from the South Korean government.[1] In 2017, she sang the national anthem at a National Liberation Day of Korea ceremony, which was attended by president Moon Jae-in.[6] In 2021, she became the last surviving female Korean independence activist, after the death of Min Yeong-ju (민영주).[1]
She died on November 17, 2024, at around 3:08 p.m.,[1][7] at Seoul Veterans Health Service Medical Center (서울중앙보훈병원). Coincidentally, she died on Patriotic Martyr's Day, which commemorates Korean independence activists.[2] A memorial ceremony was held for her at Seoul National Cemetery on November 20.[7] The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs lowered their flags to half mast around the country in her honor.[6] Her remains were interred at that cemetery thereafter.[3]