World · East Asia & Pacific · 3 hrs ago
Three Koreans Named November 2026 Independence Activists
South Korea’s Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs named three men its November 2026 independence activists.
Moon Seok-jun, Seong Gi-seok and Hong Ik-beom secretly shared news from overseas shortwave broadcasts during Japanese rule.
With newspapers shut and foreign broadcasts restricted, the broadcasts brought news of the independence movement and the war into Korea.
Moon passed on information from Voice of America, while Seong built receivers for Korean-language broadcasts from the provisional government in China.
Hong gathered broadcast reports and shared them with Korean nationalist and socialist figures.
Japanese authorities arrested all three after learning that broadcast information was spreading inside Korea.
Moon and Hong died after torture, while Seong was imprisoned until Korea’s liberation.
Their designation recognizes their role in circulating information under colonial rule.
South Korea’s Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs named Moon Seok-jun, Seong Gi-seok and Hong Ik-beom as the November 2026 Independence Activists.
The three secretly shared information from overseas shortwave broadcasts about the Korean provisional government and international affairs during Japanese colonial rule.
Japanese authorities began a major crackdown in December 1942 after learning that shortwave broadcasts were being circulated in Korea.
Moon and Hong died after being tortured in prison, while Seong was released after Korea’s liberation.
The ministry announced the selections on October 30.
- Who
- Moon Seok-jun, Seong Gi-seok and Hong Ik-beom, named by South Korea’s Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.
- What
- They were selected as the November 2026 Independence Activists for sharing information from overseas shortwave broadcasts.
- When
- The ministry announced the selection on October 30, 2026.
- Where
- Korea, under Japanese colonial rule.
- Why
- They secretly relayed news about the Korean provisional government, overseas independence activities and the war situation.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Japanese media controls intensified, making overseas news difficult to obtain in Korea.
Japanese authorities began a major crackdown after learning that shortwave broadcast information was circulating in Korea.
Moon and Hong were arrested and sentenced to prison; Moon later died after torture, as did Hong while imprisoned.
The ministry announced the three men as the November 2026 Independence Activists.
- Honorees
- Moon Seok-jun, Seong Gi-seok and Hong Ik-beom
- Recognition
- November 2026 Independence Activists
- Announcement
- October 30, 2026
- Moon's sentence
- 1 year and 2 months
- Seong's sentence
- 2 years
- Hong's sentence
- 2 years