Hong Beom-do
Encyclopedia
Hong Beom-do ; August 27, 1868 – October 25, 1943), was a Korean independence activist
. Hong was born in Chasong
, North Pyongan.
. The law made hunters angry, including Hong. So, he organized a Righteous Army
which defeated Japanese garrisons
around Bukcheong through the use of hit-and-run attacks
.
In 1910, He moved to Gando. After March First Movement, He became a Commander-in-Chief
of Korean Independence Army. In August 1919, Hong crossed Tumen River
with 200 soldiers. He assaulted Japanese troops in Hyesanjin and Kapsan
. He would cross the river twice more, each time carrying out more successful attacks.
In June, 1920, Hong and his army fought against Japanese forces, killing hundreds of Japanese soldiers in Samdunja and Bongodong. In October, working together with Kim Jwa-jin
, Hong again fought against Japanese troops (Battle of Chingshanli
).
In June, 1921 as the Soviet Union
disarmed Korean troops by force and internal trouble occurred, resulting in the collapse of the Korean independence army. Hong ended up as a member of the Russian red army
.
In 1937, Hong and other Koreans were deported
to Kazakhstan
by Stalin. Hong would die there in 1943.
On October 25, 1963, Hong was posthumously awarded the Republic of Korea Medal of merit for national foundation
.
Korean independence movement
The Korean independence movement grew out of the Japanese colonial rule of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. After the Japanese surrendered, Korea became independent; that day is now an annual holiday called Gwangbokjeol in South Korea, and Chogukhaebangŭi nal in North Korea.-Background:In...
. Hong was born in Chasong
Chasong
Chasŏng is a county in Chagang Province, North Korea. The city is immediately south of the Chinese-North Korean border. Its approximate population to 7 km from the city center is 8,317. The average altitude is 1279 feet, or 389 meters. Nearby cities and towns include Haengjangp'yong and...
, North Pyongan.
Biography
Hong was originally a hunter. In September, 1907 Japan proclaimed a law to gather hunters' guns to weaken Korean resistanceKorean independence movement
The Korean independence movement grew out of the Japanese colonial rule of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. After the Japanese surrendered, Korea became independent; that day is now an annual holiday called Gwangbokjeol in South Korea, and Chogukhaebangŭi nal in North Korea.-Background:In...
. The law made hunters angry, including Hong. So, he organized a Righteous Army
Righteous army
Righteous armies, sometimes called irregular armies or militias, have appeared several times in Korean history, when the national armies were in need of assistance....
which defeated Japanese garrisons
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
around Bukcheong through the use of hit-and-run attacks
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
.
In 1910, He moved to Gando. After March First Movement, He became a Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of Korean Independence Army. In August 1919, Hong crossed Tumen River
Tumen River
The Tumen River is a 521 km-long river that serves as part of the boundary between China, North Korea, and Russia, rising in Mount Baekdu and flowing into the Sea of Japan....
with 200 soldiers. He assaulted Japanese troops in Hyesanjin and Kapsan
Kapsan
Kapsan is a kun, or county, in Ryanggang province, North Korea. During the Chosŏn Dynasty, officials who had fallen into disfavor were often sent into internal exile there....
. He would cross the river twice more, each time carrying out more successful attacks.
In June, 1920, Hong and his army fought against Japanese forces, killing hundreds of Japanese soldiers in Samdunja and Bongodong. In October, working together with Kim Jwa-jin
Kim Jwa-jin
Kim Jwa-jin , sometimes called the "Korean Makhno" or by his pen name Baekya, played an important role in the development of Korean nationalism....
, Hong again fought against Japanese troops (Battle of Chingshanli
Battle of Chingshanli
The Battle of Qingshanli was fought over six days in October 1920 between the Imperial Japanese Army and Korean armed groups in a densely-wooded region of eastern Manchuria called Qīngshānlǐ...
).
In June, 1921 as the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
disarmed Korean troops by force and internal trouble occurred, resulting in the collapse of the Korean independence army. Hong ended up as a member of the Russian red army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
.
In 1937, Hong and other Koreans were deported
Population transfer in the Soviet Union
Population transfer in the Soviet Union may be classified into the following broad categories: deportations of "anti-Soviet" categories of population, often classified as "enemies of workers," deportations of entire nationalities, labor force transfer, and organized migrations in opposite...
to Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
by Stalin. Hong would die there in 1943.
On October 25, 1963, Hong was posthumously awarded the Republic of Korea Medal of merit for national foundation
Order of Merit for National Foundation
The Order of Merit for National Foundation is an Order of South Korea. It is typically reserved for those who contributed to the founding of the modern Republic of Korea.It is awarded in five grades:...
.