Independence activist, calligrapher and poet imprisoned for protesting colonial education around his graduation from Jeju agricultural school; posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation (Citation) in 1993
| Life | 1912 ~ 1969 |
| Era | 일제강점기·현대 |
| Clan | 아주 신씨 |
Shin Chan-ik (申璨翊, 1912-1969) was a colonial-era independence activist, calligrapher and poet of the Aju Shin clan. His childhood name was Shin A, changed to Chan-ik in 1915, and his pen name was Samdo. Born on 1 August 1912 in Jeju, he briefly spent early childhood on Aphae island in Sinan and in Haenam before returning to Jeju in 1918. He graduated from Jeju Sinseong common school in 1925 and Jeju agricultural school in 1931.
At his 1931 graduation, a classmate expelled just before graduating for alleged dangerous thoughts protested to the school and was arrested at the ceremony, and other classmates were held back for the same reason. Shin and fellow graduates scattered leaflets calling for an end to colonial education and led a protest to the staff room and the Japanese principal's residence. He was arrested with ten others and sentenced on 29 August 1931 at the Mokpo branch of the Gwangju District Court to one year in prison; in March 1932 the Daegu Court of Appeals finalized one year with a five-year suspension, after more than a year in custody.
After liberation he served as a junior administrative committee member of the Korean Independence Party from February 1947 to February 1948 and then left it, and received an honorary diploma from Haenam Middle School in 1948. He returned to Jeju for good in 1955 and was civil-affairs secretary to the Jeju governor from December 1961 to February 1962. The government posthumously awarded him the Order of Merit for National Foundation (Citation) on 1 March 1993.
The incident grew from student anger after a classmate was taken away on graduation day and others were held back. Shin led leaflet-scattering and protests at the staff room and the principal's residence and received a one-year sentence with a five-year suspension.
His merits are recorded in the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs' register of deeds and he was awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation (Citation) on 1 March 1993. His work as calligrapher and poet is mentioned in a wiki article, but specific works could not be confirmed.
His burial place is not given in the sources consulted.
Family details are not covered.