writing

of a brush and ink, made in China. Father wanted me to become proficient in writing. I immediately put

the set in use, I ground out some ink in water, dipped the brush in it and wrote out three large letters -

"Ah Buh Ji" (father). That night, the family gathered around a dim kerosene lamp and read Father's letter

over and over again. Uncle Hyong Rok read it three times. He was normally restless and vibrant, but he

was slow and deliberate like an old man while reading the letter. Mother quickly glanced over the letter

and handed it me, asking me to read it aloud for Grandpa and Grandma. Even though I had not started

my formal schooling, Father had taught me how to read.

Gen. Hong Bom Do and aids in Siberia.

Sooner I had started to read the letter loud and clear than Grandma stopped her spinning and asked -

"Does it say when he would be back?" and before I could answer, she muttered to herself - "Is he in

Siberia or is he in Manchuria? He has been gone unusually long". Seeing that Mother did not get to read

the letter in detail, I recited the letter from memory for her after we went to bed. Mother would never

read Father's letter in front of Grandma and Grandpa, instead she would tuck the letter under her sleeve

and read it alone during rest breaks from her daily farm chores. Mother said - "Ok, that's good enough.

Now you better go to sleep" - and rubbed my forehead.

It was not until the Fall of that year when Father returned home to take us with him. He had been gone

for a year. During his absence from home, Father was busy rebuilding the Korean People's Association;

he traveled to Yiju, Chang-sung, Byukdong, Chosan, Junggang and other towns in North Pyongahn

Province and Manchuria. Father convened Chungsu-dong Conference in November 1918.

Representatives of the Association in the province and liaison agents from various sites met there to

discuss future actions to rebuild the Association and organize the poor working massFather talked about events in Manchuria and Russia. He was quite enthused about about Lenin and the

October Revolution. He said that in Russia, workers, peasants and other toiling people were in charge; he

was envious of that. He was angry at the White reactionaries and the 14 nations that had sent intervention

troops to Russia to topple the new government of Russia. Since what he said was true and factual, I

believe Father had been to Siberia. Like Manchuria, Siberia was a base for national movements and an

important gathering place. Several hundred thousands of Koreans were resident in Siberia at the time of

the March First Movement.

Many patriots and nationalist leaders fled there. Lee Jun's secret mission stopped in Siberia on their way

to Hague. Yu In Sik and Lee Sang Sul established the "13-Province Righteous Army" headquarters in

Vladivostok It was in Vladivostok that Korean progressives under Yi Dong Whi founded the first

Korean socialist organization and began to propagate Marxism-Leninism. The Korean People's Assembly

in Russia established the Korean Provisional Government in Far East Russia. Hong Bom Do and Ahn

Jung Gun had military units in active operation in that region.

The Korean exiles in Siberia formed numerous independent groups for Korean independence. Korean

nationalists in Russia crossed the Russo-Korean border and attacked Gyongwon, Gyonghum and other

Korean towns under Japanese rule. They fought Japanese police and military and inflicted heavy

casualties. Korean nationalist troops from Manchuria and Russia worked hand in hand with the Soviet

Army and fought the enemies of the Soviet Union. The imperialists attempted to topple the new Soviet

government and poured in billions of dollars and tens of thousands of their troops in Russia. They armed

Russian reactionaries. Several thousands Korean nationalists rushed to the aid of the struggling Soviets.

Many fought as partisans and many joined the Red Army. Monuments in Siberia honor those Koreans

who died for socialism.

Hong Bom Do, Yi Dong Whi , Yuh Woon Hyong and other nationalist leaders conducted intense

military campaigns for Korean independence from military bases in Russia. They met Lenin and

discussed Korean independence. Their fight for Korea had ended in a sour note at Free City;

factionalism, foreign intervention and egoism culminated in the shameful fratricidal self-destruction in

the Free City Incident (also known as the Amur River Incident - see Chapter 9, Section 4 for more on this

incident). Nevertheless, their contributions to Korean independence should not be ignored..PAGE 32-33