By Honorary Reporter Annisa Mujahidah Robbani from Indonesia
Photos = Jeonju MBC Original's official YouTube channel 




The story of Yang Chil-sung aka Komarudin began when Korea was colonized by Japan (1910-45). Many Koreans were forced to work or join the Japanese military as Japan was expanding its territory to Southeast Asia in early 1942. From May 1919, Japan began mobilizing 3,223 auxiliary soldiers to Southeast Asia to guard prisoners of war (POW), and Yang was one of the guards.

Born in Wanju-gun County, Jeollabuk-do Province, Yang on May 29, 1919, arrived on in Java to guard Allied POWs in Bandung. After both Indonesia and Korea gained independence in 1945, however, he decided to remain in Indonesia. Toward the end of World War II, he changed his name to Komarudin and married an Indonesian woman and had a son with her. His daughter-in-law and grandchildren still live in Indonesia.

In March 1946, Bandung was hit by war. Hundreds of Indonesian youth groups from all over the city of Pasundan gathered in Bandung to fight Allied troops and remaining Japanese soldiers. One of them was Pasukan Pengeran Papak (PPP) from Garut, a town in West Java. Komarudin and eight fellow soldiers joined PPP to fight for Indonesia's independence from Dutch colonial rule.

Komarudin's membership in PPP soon gave headaches to the Dutch military. His most impressive action was the destruction of the Cimanuk Bridge to thwart a Dutch plan to control the city of Wanaraja. But after Dutch forces attacked Garut, PPP was tasked with securing the area. Because the Dutch military was too strong, Indonesian troops had to retreat. Finally, Komarudin and three fellow soldiers were caught on Mount Dora by a Dutch ambush in November 1948. On Aug. 10, 1949, Yang was executed in Garut along with two Japanese soldiers. Just before he died, he shouted "Merdeka!" the Indonesian word for "freedom."