Patriot / Righteous Army (Uibyeong) / Independence Medal (1977)
| Life | 1875 ~ 1914 |
| Era | 근현대 |
| Clan | 밀양 박씨 |
Park Chun-sil (born Park Dong-sik, 1875-1914) distributed proclamations calling men to arms around Jinan in North Jeolla Province after the 1905 Eulsa Treaty stripped Korea of its diplomatic sovereignty. He joined forces with the righteous army of Moon Tae-su and took part in the Allied Righteous Army of the Thirteen Provinces before returning to his base in the Deogyusan mountains, where he remained highly active.
Over five years he ranged across South and North Gyeongsang and North Jeolla provinces, fighting or raiding Japanese forces more than sixty times, killing hundreds of soldiers and capturing large quantities of weapons. Captured in 1909 and sentenced to death by hanging, he broke through a prison wall in 1914, helped over a hundred fellow inmates escape, and then took his own life. The government posthumously awarded him the Order of Merit for National Foundation, Independence Medal, in 1977.