Ryu Gwan-sun

Ryu Gwan-sun
Ryu Gwansun in the Japanese prison.
Korean name
Hangul	유관순
Hanja	柳寬順
Revised Romanization	Ryu Gwansun
McCune–Reischauer	Ryu Kwansun

Ryu Gwan-sun or Yu Gwan-sun (Hangul: 유관순, Hanja: 柳寬順) (November 17, 1902 – September 28, 1920) was a Christian Korean freedom fighter who protested against the Japanese occupation of Korea.

Childhood

Ryu Gwansun was born on November 17, 1902, in a small farming village. Her brother said that she taught herself how to read Hangul. She was a playful, lively child who enjoyed running "like a boy" and was able to memorize Bible verses quickly. Her nephew, who grew up in the same village as her, said that she had very large, bright black eyes. Her brother described her as tall, with a plump, fair face.

When she was 12, she entered the Ewha Girls' School in Seoul, where she learned more about Christianity.

Demonstrations

Ryu Gwansun joined in the March 1st Movement with some friends from her school, though her teacher strongly told them not to. She was taken to prison for a short time, and her school was closed. With the help of her family and friends, Ryu planned a peaceful demonstration in her province for 1 March. The day before the demonstration, Ryu lit a bonfire on a mountain as a signal to begin the demonstration. The next day, over 2000 people came together in a marketplace for the demonstration. The Japanese police shot at the people, and about 19 people died, including Ryu's parents. Ryu Gwansun was taken to prison. She died on September 28, 1920 from injuries sustained from torture and beatings in prison.