Han Hyeong-seok (1910–1996) was an independence activist and musician during the Japanese occupation of Korea, known for composing anti-Japanese songs and contributing to the Korean Liberation Army.
He grew up in Shanghai and later graduated from the New Art Academy in Shanghai before devoting himself to the independence movement.
In October 1939, Han joined the Korean Youth Battlefield Work Corps, which was formed in Chongqing. As the head of the arts division, he composed various anti-Japanese songs and created plays.
Notable works from this period include the military songs “Korean March” and “Song of Resistance,” as well as performances like “Night of the Border” and “Arirang,” which gained significant attention from both the Chinese military and the public.
In 1940, Han served as an instructor at the Central Wartime Cadet Training Center’s special department in China. In 1941, when the Korean Youth Battlefield Work Corps was incorporated into the 5th unit of the Korean Liberation Army,
Han published two volumes of the **Liberation Army Songbook** and composed “Song of the Korean Flag,” “Song of the 2nd Unit of the Liberation Army,” “Amnok River March,” and “March of the Homeland.”
In October 1944, Han was appointed as the head of propaganda for the 2nd Unit of the Korean Liberation Army, where he continued to use music and opera to inspire anti-Japanese sentiment and strengthen the alliance between the Korean Liberation Army and the Chinese military.
