In the Patriot Park Yeol Memorial Hall at Mungyeong Gyeongsangbuk-do, there is a grave of a Japanese woman who participated in the Korean Independence Movement. 

The grave belongs to Fumiko Kaneko(金子文子, 1903~1926), the companion and wife of Park Yeol who joined the Korean Independence Movement.

Fumiko Kaneko was born in 1903 in Yokohama and grew up in the absence of parental care. When she was 9 in 1912, she spent 7 years with her aunt at Cheongju Chungcheongbuk-do. During this time, she deeply sympathized with colonized Koreans who were abused similarly to her.

She was especially struck by the March 1 Independence movement she witnessed in person in1919.

“When I witnessed the independent requirement of Joseon in 1919, I also felt a sense of objection toward the power of authority. An inseparable catharsis surged from my heart when I thought of the Independence Movement unfolding in Joseon.”-Trial Record, page 20

After returning to Japan and beginning her study and work in Tokyo, Fumiko Kaneko met Park Yeol and joined his activity against Japanese Imperialism in February 1922. She sold insam and published a magazine with Park Yeol to spread the voices of Koreans in Japanese society. In April 1923, they formed an organization of Korean and Japanese anarchist activists.

Japanese Imperialists defined rebellious Koreans as Huteisenjin and Inflicted discrimination and persecution.

“Is the ‘Huteisenjin’ who is so vigorously misunderstood in Japanese society a person who conspires to assassination, destruction, and evil plot without restraint, or simply a human who lives with fervor toward freedom? -『Shameless Korean』 Volume 1 published by Fumiko Kaneko and Park Yeol

On September 3rd, 1923, Fumiko Kaneko and Park Yeol were arrested by Japanese police.

When a great earthquake occurred in the Kanto region of Japan, the Japanese army, police, and vigilantes massacred around 6,000 Koreans and arrested many. Amid this chaos, the police also arrested Fumiko Kaneko and Park Yeol who were already on their special watch list.

The Japanese government needed justification for the massacre of Koreans. When they discovered the plan of Fumiko Kaneko and Park Yeol to smuggle bombs, the government prosecuted them as high treason criminals.

October 20th 『The Asahi Shimbun』 Report

“Big Roundup of Secret Huteisenjin Organization Scheming Assassination of A High Official in Japanese Islands During the Chaos of the Earthquake.”

The Japanese government offered conversion to Fumiko Kaneko multiple times, but she never surrendered her will.

She attended the trial with Park Yeol on February 26th, 1926 wearing Hanbok. She even shouted ‘Long Live Korean Independence’ when the court delivered the death penalty on March 25th.

Fumiko Kaneko received the death penalty which later changed to a life sentence, and passed away in Utsunomiya Prison Tochigi Branch on July 23rd, 1926. Her body was initially buried in the prison cemetery but later recovered by her companions including Tatsuji Fuse. She was returned to the families of Park Yeol and buried on Korean soil. 

Fumiko Kaneko, who sympathized with the pain of colonized Koreans and joined the Independence Movement, is the true ‘Friend of Korea’!

Let’s carry on the dream of Fumiko Kaneko by promoting Korea to the world and changing the global society.