Son Ilbong

Son Ilbong (孫一峯, 1912 – December 12, 1941) was a Korean independence activist during the Japanese rule of Korea.

Life

He was born in Uiju (義州), North Pyongan Province, in 1912.

In 1931 he crossed to Qingdao (靑島) in the Republic of China and took part in anti-Japanese activities as a member of the Korean National Liberation Struggle League (朝鮮民族解放鬪爭同盟). He also carried out operations in Shanghai (上海) to eliminate Japanese spies. In addition, on March 3, 1934, he planned and led the "Shanghai Shrine Bombing Operation" (上海神社投彈義擧), which could be called the second Hongkou [洪口] Park operation by Kang Byeong-hak. This operation was a military act of destruction by the Korean Independence Party, carried out by Special Operations Chief Park Chang-se in consultation with Song Byeong-jo, Jo So-ang and others, with the aim of assassinating senior Japanese military officers attending a memorial service for the Japanese soldiers killed in Yun Bong-gil's Shanghai operation. However, it failed when the bomb did not explode. He was one of the conspirators in this bombing incident.

In 1934 he entered the Officer Training Class of the Central Army Military Academy, graduated from the academy in 1935, and in October of that year re-entered the Guangdong Fourth Branch of the Central Army Military Academy, graduating in 1938.

He then served in the 53rd Artillery Regiment, and was subsequently dispatched to the 56th Artillery Regiment, where he served as an instructor in the Cadre Training Corps and as commander of the ammunition unit. He was later dispatched again to the 54th Artillery Regiment, where he served as company commander of the anti-tank artillery and took part in dozens of large and small battles in Henan (河南) Province and across Hubei.

In 1940 he joined the Korean Volunteer Corps (朝鮮義勇隊) as a member of the National Revolutionary Party (民族革命黨), and was attached to the Headquarters of the 1st Zone Army, 1st Detachment. In 1941, as squad leader of the North China Detachment of the Korean Volunteer Corps, he carried out underground operations in North China. However, on December 21 of that year, while stationed at Hujiazhuang (胡家莊), he was ambushed by Japanese forces; he fought to protect the main unit and was killed in action.

Posthumous honors

In 1993 the government of South Korea posthumously awarded him the Order of Merit for National Foundation (Patriotic Medal).