Independence patriot · Student movement · Student movement
| Life | 1923 ~ 1999 |
| Era | 근현대 |
| Clan | 밀양 손씨 |
Son Yong-u, of the Miryang Son clan, was born in Yangpyeong (now Gapyeong), Gyeonggi Province. While enrolled at the Joseon Cultural Institute in 1940, he organized a reading circle with classmates including Jeon Tae-hyeon, Park Hyeong-rak, Eun In-gwan, Yi Jong-ho, Park Nae-su, and Jo Jae-hong to discuss anti-Japanese ideas, and that September scrawled slogans such as "Long live Korean independence" on a tax-survey notice board at the entrance to Sajik Park in Seoul, arousing Japanese police suspicion and leading to his arrest for stirring national consciousness.
He was sentenced to one year and six months and ultimately served two years and three months in prison. After liberation he worked as a secretary to Yeo Un-hyeong. Following six petitions over the following decades, he was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation, Patriotic Order, in 2018.
His daughter, Son Hye-won, later served as a member of the National Assembly.