South Korea honors 283 independence activists for 81st Liberation Day

South Korea's Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has announced that 283 individuals will be honored as independence activists to mark the 81st Liberation Day. The awards aim to provide more multidimensional recognition of figures in Korean history who were previously undervalued, including women, laborers, and cultural figures.

Notable recipients include Choi Jun-rye, the wife of independence leader Kim Gu, who supported the Korean Provisional Government and engaged in women's enlightenment activities. Also honored is Kim Deok-rin, a renowned actor known in China as a ‘movie emperor,’ who used his film career in the 1930s to inspire anti-Japanese sentiment and support the provisional government.

Other honorees include miners Kim Young-ho, Kim Se-cheol, and Nam Gi-seok, who led a mass protest at a gold mine in 1919 and were killed by Japanese military police. Of the 283 people receiving awards this year, 65 will receive the Order of Merit for National Foundation, 29 will receive the National Foundation Medal, and 189 will receive Presidential Commendations.