Hong Beom-do
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General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
Hong Beom-do (; August 27, 1868 – October 25, 1943) was a
Korean independence activist The following is a list of known people (including non-Koreans) that participated in the Korean independence movement against the colonization of Korea by Japan. Early activists People whose main independence activities were conducted before ...
and national hero. Hong served as commander of a guerrilla unit of the Justice Army "Yibyon" within the
Righteous armies Righteous armies (), sometimes translated as irregular armies or militias, were informal civilian militias that appeared several times in Korean history, when the national armies were in need of assistance. The first righteous armies emerged du ...
and the Korean Independence Army, which essentially gave rise to Korea's armed struggle against Japanese colonialists. In 1962, he was posthumously awarded the
Order of Merit for National Foundation The Order of Merit for National Foundation () is one of South Korea's orders of merit. It is awarded by the President of South Korea for "outstanding meritorious services in the interest of founding or laying a foundation for the Republic of Kor ...
by South Korea.


Biography

Hong was born in Chasong,
North Pyongan Province North Pyongan Province (also spelled North P'yŏngan; ; ) is a western provinces of North Korea, province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Pyongan Province, P'yŏng'an Province, remained a pro ...
,
Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...
. During his early life, he was a
hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, ...
. In September 1907,
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, as part of its colonial policies in Korea, passed a law that required hunters to turn in their hunting guns, with the intention of weakening the Korean resistance to the Japanese occupation. The law effectively crippled the ability of hunters to pursue their traditional livelihood, angering many hunters, including Hong. In response to the outlawing of hunters' guns, Hong organized a resistance force named the 1907 Righteous Army of Jeongmi. The Righteous Army carried out a number of battles against Japanese garrisons around the Bukcheong area, using hit-and-run attacks. When Japan annexed Korea in 1910, Hong fled to
Manchuria Manchuria is a historical region in northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day northeast China and parts of the modern-day Russian Far East south of the Uda (Khabarovsk Krai), Uda River and the Tukuringra-Dzhagdy Ranges. The exact ...
to train anti-Japanese freedom fighters. After the
March First Movement The March First Movement was a series of protests against Korea under Japanese rule, Japanese colonial rule that was held throughout Korea and internationally by the Korean diaspora beginning on March 1, 1919. Protests were largely concentrated in ...
in 1919, Hong became a Commander-in-Chief of the Korean Independence Army. In August 1919, Hong crossed the
Tumen River The Tumen River (, , ; Korean pronunciation: tumaŋaŋ">Help:IPA/Korean">tumaŋaŋ, also known as the Tuman River or Duman River, is a long river that serves as part of the boundary between China (left shore), North Korea (right) and Russi ...
with 400 soldiers. Once across the river and in Korea, Hong successfully attacked the Japanese troops in Hyesanjin, Jaseong, and Kapsan. Hong and his soldiers would cross the
Tumen River The Tumen River (, , ; Korean pronunciation: tumaŋaŋ">Help:IPA/Korean">tumaŋaŋ, also known as the Tuman River or Duman River, is a long river that serves as part of the boundary between China (left shore), North Korea (right) and Russi ...
twice more, each time carrying out successful attacks against the occupying Japanese forces. In August 1919, Hong launched an advance operation into Korea. He succeeded in integrating the northern army in Gando with other forces. On May 28, 1920, Hong Beom-do's Korean Independence Army (), Cho An-Mu's National Army () and Choi Jin-dong's
Military Affairs Command The Military Affairs Command (), also called Dodokbu () or Dokgunbu (), was an independence army organized by Choi Jin-dong and headquartered in Bongo-dong, Wangcheong-hyeon, Manchuria, in 1919. The domestic operations that took place in the Dae ...
() were combined into the Korean Northern Army Command (). They assembled troops and were prepared for a significant military operation. On June 4, 1920, troops of Korean Democratic Corps () attacked Japanese Army units in
North Hamgyong Province North Hamgyong Province (Hamgyŏngbukdo, ) is the northernmost province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Hamgyong Province. Geography The province is bordered by China (Jilin) to the north, S ...
Gangyang-dong (). The next day, a Japanese unit pursued the Korean Independence Army, and the Korean Northern Army Command trapped the Japanese in Samdunja (), defeating hundreds of them. This encounter became known as the Battle of Samdunja.


Battle of Fengwudong

On June 6 and 7, as the conflict increased, the Japanese Army deployed a battalion from the 19th Division, stationing it at Nanam (). The Japanese battalion launched an attack on Bongo-dong (). The Independence Army combined forces were led by Hong Beom-do legendary national hero and hid in ambush in the mountains of Bongo-dong. As the Japanese forces advanced, the Korean militias ambushed the pursuing battalion from three sides, winning the battle. The Japanese battalion withdrew after suffering substantial casualties. An estimated 157 Japanese soldiers were killed and 300 wounded out of 500, and 13 Koreans were killed and 2 wounded out of 1,200~1,300. The conflict became known as the Battle of Bongo-dong, or the Battle of Fengwudong. It was the first large-scale battle between the Korean Independence Army and the Japanese Army in
Manchuria Manchuria is a historical region in northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day northeast China and parts of the modern-day Russian Far East south of the Uda (Khabarovsk Krai), Uda River and the Tukuringra-Dzhagdy Ranges. The exact ...
. The Korean soldiers and the leadership of the Korean Northern Army Command were inspired by the victory, as were Koreans in China and Korea. The Korean resistance forces served as momentum for further independence battles in the 1920s. In October of the same year, working together with Kim Jwa-jin, Hong legendary national hero again carried out an attack against Japanese troops at what is known as the
Battle of Qingshanli A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force co ...
. The Japanese Army, having lost the battle in Cheongsang-ri and other locations, retaliated by carrying out a campaign of brutal scorched earth warfare that included the killing of Koreans and burning of villages. In response, the Korean Independence Army launched a military counter offensive. In December 1920, Hong's forces were integrated with other independence forces to organize the Korean Independence Corps.


Life in the Soviet Union

In 1921, Hong and his forces sought refuge in the Soviet Union from the Japanese forces. In June, the Soviet military enacted a policy by
Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
to secure Russian borders near China and Korea. Concerned that the Japanese Army might enter the Soviet Union in pursuit of Hong and other Korean independence fighters, the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
disarmed Korean troops. But their refusal resulted in the Free City Incident where the Red Army massacred the Korean Partisans, and the loss of weapons and safe areas for Hong and his forces resulted in the collapse of the Korean Independence Army. Hong, still hoping to oppose the Japanese in Korea, chose to join the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
. In 1937, Stalin's
deportation of Koreans in the Soviet Union The deportation of Koreans in the Soviet Union (; ) was the forced transfer of nearly 172,000 Koryo-saram (Also called "Koryoin" or "Soviet Koreans") from the Russian Far East to unpopulated areas of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, Kazakh ...
took place. Hong was among those 171,781 Koreans (almost the entire Soviet population of ethnic Koreans) forcibly relocated to Kazakhstan. Hong died in Kazakhstan in 1943. On October 25, 1963, Hong was posthumously awarded the Republic of Korea Medal of Merit for National Foundation.


Legacy

Hong is revered as a folk hero by three parties: Central Asian Koreans, South Koreans, and North Koreans. The South Korean government first tried to move Hong's remains from Kazakhstan to South Korea in 1995 during Kim Young-sam's administration. But the plan was folded due to protest from North Korea and the Korean Society of Kazakhstan, who viewed Hong as their hero. The South Korean government instead funded the establishment of Hong's tomb and memorial park in Kazakhstan. During his life, Hong, born in the current day North Korea, had never set foot on the southern part of the Korean peninsula which is now South Korea. He also wanted to buried in his birthplace if and when Korea is liberated from Japan. An agreement between the two governments was reached in 2020 to move Hong's remains from Kazakhstan to South Korea, but the date was pushed off due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. In August 2021, his remains were moved to South Korea via KC-330 Cygnus, ahead of an official state visit by Kazakh president
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev (born 17 May 1953) is a Kazakhstani politician and diplomat who has served as the second president of Kazakhstan since 2019. He previously served as Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 ...
to South Korea. South Korean President
Moon Jae-in Moon Jae-in (, ; born January 24, 1953) is a South Korean politician and former lawyer who served as the 12th president of South Korea from 2017 to 2022. Before his presidency, he served as the senior secretary for civil affairs and the Chief ...
and the First Lady Kim Jung-sook received and honored the remains in person at
Seoul Air Base Seoul Air Base (sometimes K-16 Air Base, Seoul Airport or Seongnam Air Base) is located in Seongnam city near Seoul in South Korea. Runway 19 and 20 are equipped with an Instrument landing system, ILS. History It was constructed when Korea unde ...
near
Seongnam Seongnam (; ) is the fourth largest city in South Korea's Gyeonggi Province after Suwon and the 10th largest city in the country. Its population is approximately one million. It consists of three administrative districts: Bundang District, J ...
, South Korea. His remains were reinterred in the
Daejeon National Cemetery The Daejeon National Cemetery () is located in Hyeonchungwon-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea. It is South Korea's second national cemetery after the Seoul National Cemetery and is overseen by the Ministry of Patriots' and Veterans' Affai ...
. Busts of Hong Beom-do and four other Korean independence fighters were added to the
Korea Military Academy Korea Military Academy (KMA) is the leading South Korean institution for the education and training of officer cadets for the Republic of Korea Army. Along with the Korea Army Academy (Yeongcheon), it produces the largest number of senior offi ...
in 2018. In August 2023, the
Ministry of National Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divide ...
, under the administration of conservative President
Yoon Suk-yeol Yoon Suk Yeol (; born 18 December 1960) is a South Korean politician and former prosecutor who served as the 13th president of South Korea from 2022 until Impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol, he was removed from office in 2025. The shortest-serving ...
, announced that the bust of Hong would be removed because of his past ties to communism. The decision prompted criticism and a burst of outrage in the population, with some likening the removal to
McCarthyism McCarthyism is a political practice defined by the political repression and persecution of left-wing individuals and a Fear mongering, campaign spreading fear of communist and Soviet influence on American institutions and of Soviet espionage i ...
. Though the government's initial plan was to relocate all five busts, after some opposition, it was decided that only Hong's bust would be removed from the Academy. A senior member of the Presidential office cited Hong's membership in the
Soviet Communist Party The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),. Abbreviated in Russian as КПСС, ''KPSS''. at some points known as the Russian Communist Party (RCP), All-Union Communist Party and Bolshevik Party, and sometimes referred to as the Soviet ...
and his participation in the Free City Incident as reasons for the removal. The dispute is mirrored in the general political environment of South Korea, where Yoon's conservative People Power Party is seen as more concerned with
anti-communism Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism, communist beliefs, groups, and individuals. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, and it reached global ...
, while the liberal Democratic Party is seen as more intolerant of
collaborationism Wartime collaboration is cooperation with the enemy against one's country of citizenship in wartime. As historian Gerhard Hirschfeld says, it "is as old as war and the occupation of foreign territory". The term ''collaborator'' dates to the 19th c ...
during the Japanese colonial period.


See also

*
Korean independence movement The Korean independence movement was a series of diplomatic and militant efforts to liberate Korea from Japanese rule. The movement began around the late 19th or early 20th century, and ended with the surrender of Japan in 1945. As independence a ...
** List of militant Korean independence activist organizations * Battle of Samdunja * Battle of Fengwudong *
Battle of Qingshanli A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force co ...
* Free City Incident *
Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...


References


Further reading

* 한국민족문화대사전 (Ethnic Korean Culture Dictionary) *
Homepage of General Hong Beom-do
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hong, Beom-do 1868 births 1943 deaths Korean generals Korean resistance members Korean expatriates in the Soviet Union Koryo-saram military personnel Beom-do People from North Pyongan Province People granted political asylum in the Soviet Union Hong Beom-do Koryo-saram activists for Korean independence Burials at Daejeon National Cemetery