Families of national heroes recognized for inheriting patriotism

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will hold a ceremony at the Seoul Regional Office in Yongsan District to present commemorative Taegukgi plaques to selected "honorable families of national merit" succeeding the legacy of independence and national service. The event will honor 11 individuals, including David Linton (Korean name In Dae-wee), a professor at Handong University, and ten uniformed service members. The plaques feature gold-plated Taegukgi with photos of the meritorious ancestors and their descendants, symbolizing the perpetual remembrance of their noble service and intentions.

David Linton’s great-grandfather, William Linton (Korean name In Don, 1891–1960), came to Korea as an American missionary in 1912 and dedicated 48 years to missionary and educational work through the Japanese occupation years and the Korean War. He supported the Gunsan Independence Movement in 1919 and was forcibly deported in 1936 for refusing to participate in shrine worship imposed by the Japanese. The government posthumously awarded him the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 2010. In fact, In Yo-han (English name John Linton), a member-elect of the People Power Party, is a grandson of William Linton’s. Hugh Linton, David Linton’s grandfather, also served as a captain in the U.S. Navy and participated in the Incheon Landing during the Korean War. Professor Linton was naturalized in 2014.

Lieutenant Gong Byeong-sam of Bucheon Fire Station is another honoree, with a great-grandfather, Gong Chil-bo, who was a patriot awarded a presidential commendation in 1995 for his involvement in the 1919 Suwon Osan Market Independence Movement. He was imprisoned and tortured by the Japanese and died in 1939 from the aftereffects. Gong Byung-sam’s grandfather was a Korean War veteran who lost his sight in battle, and his father was a wounded veteran of the Vietnam War.

Staff Sergeant Shin Eun-jeong of the Army's Honor Guard Battalion is another hero recognized this time, with both her great-grandfather, Shin Woo-hyun, a patriot awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1963 for his anti-Japanese militia activities in 1905, and her grandfather, a Vietnam War veteran, being national heroes.

Other honorees include Second Lieutenant Hyeon Jae-cheon, a descendant of Lee Se-young, principal of the Shinheung Military Academy during the Japanese occupation, and Firefighter Lee Chung-rak, the grandson of Lee Seok-lin, a member of the Korean Liberation Army awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1990.


Sang-Ho Yun ysh1005@donga.com