Born: 16 December 1902, South Korea
Died: 28 September 1920
Country most active: South Korea
Also known as: Ryu Gwan-su
An important figure in organising the March 1st Movement against the Japanese colonial rule in Korea, Yu Gwansun became a symbol of her country’s fight for independence through peaceful protest. Often called “Korea’s Joan of Arc”, Yu was only 17 when she was arrested by Japanese police during an independence demonstration in 1919. Both of her parents were killed at the demonstration.
Sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment, she continued to fight for Korean independence in jail, which led to beatings and other forms of torture at the hands of Japanese officers. A year later, she died in prison at age 18, reportedly as the result of the torture. She was posthumously awarded the Order of Independence Merit, which is awarded for “outstanding meritorious services in the interest of founding or laying a foundation for the Republic of Korea” in 1962.
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