Acting President Choi Sang-mok, left, visits a facility for national veterans in Suwon, in this photo provided by the finance ministry, Feb. 21. Yonhap
Acting President Choi Sang-mok paid a visit to a nursing home for national patriots Friday to express gratitude to a 102-year-old independence fighter for his contributions, his office said.
Choi visited the facility in Suwon, about 30 kilometers south of Seoul, ahead of the anniversary of March 1 Independence Movement Day in 1919, a pivotal event in Korea's struggle against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, the finance ministry said.
Oh Sung-kyu, born in 1923, trained in Manchuria, China, under the alias Ju Tae-seok for a special operations mission but was unable to return to the country before its liberation in 1945.
"The Republic of Korea has overcome numerous crises and achieved remarkable progress thanks to the dedication of patriots like you, who sacrificed for the nation," Choi said, referring to Korea by its official name.
Established in 1997, the Suwon facility is a nursing home dedicated to providing health care services to independence activists and veterans. It currently houses 105 individuals recognized for their national contributions.
According to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, only five independence fighters remain alive today, with four residing in Korea and one in the United States. (Yonhap)
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