Lee Ha-jeon, the Republic of Korea’s oldest decorated independence patriot, passed away on Feb. 4, 2026 (local time) at the age of 104.
While attending Sungin Commercial School, Lee formed a clandestine group with fellow students and carried out independence activities. He wrote and distributed a resolution calling for the cultivation of national strength and the spirit of independence, helping spread anti-Japanese awareness. In 1941, he was arrested by Japanese police and served two and a half years in prison on charges related to efforts to overthrow the Japanese Empire and advance Korea’s independence movement. Among the independence patriots awarded national honors after liberation, only five are still alive, and Lee was the only one residing overseas.
Last October, VANK (Voluntary Agency Network of Korea), with the support of Kim Han-il, president of the San Francisco & Bay Area Korea Center, visited Lee’s home in Sacramento, California, and held a seminar.
At the time, Lee stressed, “I took part in the independence movement during the Japanese colonial period and am living proof and a witness who has survived to this day,” recalling his youth, when he never lost hope despite exploitation and discrimination under Japanese rule.
When Park Gi-tae, head of VANK, asked what message he wished to share with young people in Korea, Lee said, “During the colonial period, the high-quality agricultural products and rice we carefully grew in Korea had to be forcibly sent to Japanese imperial soldiers. Japan left Koreans with only low-quality food, and we had to live under discrimination and exploitation. Koreans at that time were, quite literally, targets of exploitation and lived because we could not die. As someone who experienced that reality firsthand, I want to say again that I am living proof and a witness.”
He then said he had a message for the president and people of Korea and asked VANK to convey it. “My achievements may not be great, but as one of the last living witnesses who remembers the colonial period, I have testified whenever I had the chance about what Koreans felt as they carried out the independence movement and how they endured such suffering. I hope young people in Korea will learn the truth of that time and carry on its spirit. Please remember me. Thank you.” Throughout the seminar, he repeatedly emphasized, “I am living proof.”
To carry on his wishes, VANK is launching a memorial campaign for Lee based on interviews conducted during the seminar. The organization plans to release short-form interview videos featuring Lee’s voice on social media platforms such as Instagram, sharing and commemorating his final message: “living proof.”
Kim Han-il, president of the San Francisco & Bay Area Korea Center, said, “Lee Ha-jeon spent his life longing for his homeland. During the Japanese colonial period, he devoted himself in the United States to Korea’s independence and helped build the identity and pride of the Korean community.” He added, “I hope his life and spirit will continue to live on in our collective memory. In particular, I hope his legacy will be carried forward by those of us living in the 21st century and serve as an opportunity for the spirit of the independence movement in the Americas to be passed on once more—from San Francisco to the homeland he sought to protect.”
Park Gi-tae, head of VANK, said, “Lee Ha-jeon devoted his youth to Korea’s independence and upheld that spirit throughout his life. His life is not merely history from a century ago, but a reminder of the responsibility we carry today.” He added, “The freedom we take for granted today was built on the sacrifices and dedication of countless patriots, including Lee. The current generation living in the age of AI and digital technology must carry forward his message, remember history, and put its lessons into practice.”
VANK researcher Koo Seung-hyun said, “Our meeting during the seminar was brief, but in Lee’s eyes and every word he spoke, I felt the weight of history. His statement, ‘I am living proof,’ was not simply a recollection but a reminder of how much we have forgotten those who devoted themselves to the independence movement overseas. I hope this campaign will help carry on his legacy across generations and eras.”
Lee Jeong-woo, a VANK youth researcher who took part in producing the video on Lee, said, “The video capturing Lee’s vivid experiences is only 1 minute and 30 seconds long, but it clearly shows how harshly Koreans were exploited by the Japanese government at the time. Even in such circumstances, I felt deep gratitude for the spirit and determination of independence activists who continued their resistance without pause.”
Kwon So-young, a VANK researcher, said, “Through VANK’s national policy proposal platform ‘Woollim,’ a global campaign is underway to honor independence activists such as Lee and share their dreams with the world. This momentum should also lead to policies by government agencies, including the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, so that the spirit of independence activists can continue to be carried on at the national level.”