Dokdo Volunteer Guard

 All Koreans must know the historical fact that the righteous army uprising took place nationwide, starting with the Eulmi Incident in 1895 and the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1905 in 1905, before the annexation of Korea into Japanese colonial rule in 1910. However, not many people seem to know that even after the liberation of August 15, there was a struggle against Japan. The main characters of the last struggle against Japan in modern and contemporary Korea were 33 members of the Dokdo Volunteer Guard, including General Hong Soon-chil, who crushed Japan's invasion of Dokdo. In the early 1950s, when the government was unable to properly manage Dokdo due to the war, they gave up everything, including their families and livelihoods, and risked their lives to defend Dokdo for three years and eight months after Japan invaded Dokdo. Thanks to these, we may have been able to continue to possess Dokdo as Korea's effective territory to this day. Their achievements in protecting Dokdo even in poor conditions make us bow to the reality of today, when the government is neglecting Dokdo too much. In the midst of the chaos of the Korean War, Japanese civilians, police and soldiers invaded Dokdo more frequently. Japan committed three illegal acts from June 25 to 28, 1952, using U.S. military aircraft to land on Dokdo, destroying memorial monuments for Korean fishermen killed during U.S. bombing exercises on June 30, 1948, and marking Japan's territory. Then, on April 20, 1953, 33 patriotic young people, including Yoo Won-sik, Jeong Won-do, Kim Byung-yeol, Yang Bong-joon, Lee Kyu-hyun, Lee Pil-young, Seogwipo Jong, and Kim Young-ho, who have participated in the Korean War, led by Hong Soon-chil, were pure Dokdo-minded. On August 5, 1953, the rock wall of Dongdo Island was engraved with "Korean territory" and the resolution to defend Dokdo was renewed. The Dokdo Volunteer Guard consists of two combat squads, supply squads, rear support squads, and transport squads, with Hong Soon-chil in charge, Hwang Yeong-moon in charge of the vice squadron. They were armed with a 0.5-ton boat, a mortar, a rifle, 20 M1 rifles, and 24,000 live ammunition, and two squad members took turns working on guard duty for a month, defeating the Japanese patrol ship and sending several memorandums to the Korean government. Each had to fight under unfavorable conditions, such as collecting weapons, preparing food and firewood at home, and starving for three to four days as usual. There were times when the supply ship didn't come, so I lived drinking rainwater, and when the Japanese bomber attacked, I painted a large tree black to defeat it, and there was a huge shortage of medicine. In the summer, they also suffered from insects called "kaldagu" that dig deep into their bones. This life of the Volunteer Guard continued until April 8, 1956, when it handed over its defensive duties to the Ulleung Island police. Even after the disbandment of the Dokdo Volunteer Guard, General Hong Soon-chil, the head of the Guards, suggested the establishment of the Dokdo breakwater to the government and continued to protect Dokdo. In 1966, the Park Chung-hee administration awarded the Order of Merit to General Hong Soon-chil and the rest of the members a Defense Medal, and in April 1996, the late General Hong Soon-chil was awarded the Order of Patriotism and the Order of Liberation. Let's take a closer look at the Dokdo Defense Force's battle against Japan. On January 28, 1952, the government declared sovereignty over Dokdo. In August, Japan illegally infiltrates Dokdo and marks its territory. Then, Japanese fishermen start fishing in waters near Dokdo. Then, on April 20 of the following year, the Dokdo Volunteer Guard was organized around General Hong Soon-chil to start guarding Dokdo. On June 24, when a Japanese fisheries high school training ship visits Dokdo, it threatens Japanese students and takes measures to return home. On July 12th, when a patrol ship from the Japan Coast Guard appeared, it launched a gunfight to repel it. On August 5th, the Korean monument to Dokdo will be built. On the same day in 1954, patrol ships of the Japan Coast Guard again provoked and repelled them through gunfight. In November 1955, the Japan Coast Guard mobilized two patrol boats and one aircraft to attack Dokdo, but failed to overcome stubborn resistance from the Volunteer Guard and retreated. And on April 8, 1956, Ulleung Island Marine Police finally took over the security mission for Dokdo and the Volunteer Guard was disbanded. And on April 12, 1966, General Hong Soon-chil, the general of the Guards, was awarded the Order of Merit for Service. What lessons can we learn from the history of the Dokdo Volunteer Guard in the face of conflicts between Korea and Japan over the sovereignty of Dokdo due to the recent absurd remarks made by Japanese ambassadors to Korea about Dokdo? Is the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's diplomatic stance to prevent the police chief from visiting Dokdo to encourage Dokdo guards the right way to protect Dokdo? At a time when Japan's eyes are on Dokdo, we must reflect on how much efforts we have made to protect Dokdo.