{"id":11170,"date":"2026-10-24T15:28:04","date_gmt":"2026-10-24T15:28:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=11170"},"modified":"2026-10-24T15:28:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-24T15:28:04","slug":"granddaughter-of-korean-independence-fighter-brings-korean-history-to-us-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=11170","title":{"rendered":"Granddaughter of Korean independence fighter brings Korean history to US schools"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Kim<\/picture>
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Kim Hyun-ju serves on the board of the Fremont Union High School District in California. Courtesy of Kim Hyun-ju<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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I want to help Korean American students take pride in their roots while growing into members of American society.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

At the first Korea Book Festival in Vancouver, Canada, which runs through Oct. 31, a very meaningful book was exhibited: “Jessie\u2019s Diary,” reborn as a graphic novel. On Oct. 8, a session was held where readers read the original work and shared their impressions, receiving a great response. The graphic novel has been introduced in French, Chinese and Japanese, and preparations are underway to publish an English edition of the original work as well. <\/p>\n

“Jessie\u2019s Diary” is a child-rearing journal kept for eight years, beginning in 1938 with the birth of the couple\u2019s eldest daughter, Jessie, by Yang Woo-jo (1897-1964) and Choe Seon-hwa (1911-2003), a husband and wife who participated in the Korean Provisional Government. <\/p>\n

Alongside their deep love for their family, the diary chronicles the provisional government\u2019s life in exile, the daily lives of independence activists and anecdotes about prominent figures in the independence movement, including Kim Gu and Ahn Chang-ho. It has been recognized for its historical value.<\/p>\n

The diary came to public attention in 1999 when Kim Hyun-ju, 54, the couple\u2019s granddaughter and the daughter of Jessie Yang, the diary\u2019s namesake, published it as a book. Kim currently lives in the United States and serves on the board of the Fremont Union High School District in California. In a recent telephone interview, she recalled her first encounter with the journal: \u201cWhen I first saw the diary, written so carefully, one character at a time, it felt as though my maternal grandfather, whom I had never met, had come back to life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/picture>
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The original “Jessie\u2019s Diary,” a child-rearing journal written by Korean independence activists Yang Woo-jo and Choe Seon-hwa while living in exile in China \/ Courtesy of Woorinabi <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kim learned of the diary in 1998, when she was pregnant with her first child. Her maternal grandmother, Choe Seon-hwa, entrusted her with an old brown journal she had carefully preserved. The lives and convictions of her grandparents, preserved in its pages, deeply moved her. <\/p>\n

Having worked as a broadcast writer, Kim modernized archaic expressions and Chinese-derived words and added vivid recollections she had heard directly from her grandmother before compiling the material into a book. The publication celebration was especially meaningful, bringing together four generations of women: Choe, Jessie Yang, Kim and Kim\u2019s first daughter, who was about 100 days old at the time.<\/p>\n

The diary also changed the course of Kim\u2019s life. After moving to San Francisco in 2000 to accompany her husband for his job, she became involved in Korean history and cultural education. At the time, even finding books about Korea in American libraries was difficult. She approached the Korean school her children attended and began teaching discussion-based history classes for middle school students in 2007, staying up through the night to prepare teaching materials. She eventually became a vice principal and then a principal.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/picture>
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The original “Jessie\u2019s Diary,” showing signs of age. In 1998, Choe Seon-hwa gave the journal to her granddaughter Kim Hyun-ju, who was pregnant with her first child at the time. Courtesy of Woorinabi <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kim laughed as she recalled how she would raise her young children\u2019s arms whenever she changed their clothes and teach them to shout, \u201cLong live Korean independence!\u201d<\/p>\n

Another experience also sparked her interest in history education. She discovered that “So Far from the Bamboo Grove,” a book centered on a Japanese girl near the end of World War II that portrays Japanese people as victims and Koreans as aggressors, was being used as instructional material in some California schools.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was deeply shocked when I heard that a Korean American student who had read the book felt ashamed of being Korean,\u201d Kim said.<\/p>\n

Working with fellow Korean school teachers and other members of the Korean American community, Kim urged education authorities to remove “So Far from the Bamboo Grove” from the list of instructional materials. In 2008, at the publisher\u2019s request, the school district board finally voted to remove the book.<\/p>\n

\u201cI sobbed in the bathroom all by myself because I thought of my grandparents. I felt that this was why I had come to America.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"From<\/picture>
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From left, Yang Woo-jo and his eldest daughter, Jessie Yang; Choi Seon-hwa and her second daughter, Jenny Yang \/ Courtesy of Woorinabi <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since 2009, Kim has organized seminars on Korean history and culture for American teachers. Around 2012, she and Korean school teachers established the educational organization Echo Korea. She also runs the Young Korean American Academy, a summer camp for young people.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to help Korean American students take pride in their roots while growing into members of American society,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Kim was first elected to the school district board in 2018 and won reelection in 2022. She is seeking a third term in the election on Nov. 3. Her dream is to one day meet her maternal grandparents and mother in heaven and proudly tell them about the path she has taken.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy life\u2019s mission is to carry on the spirit of the Korean independence movement. I will continue moving forward, using my grandparents\u2019 lives as my compass.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Works<\/picture>
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Works from artist Park Kun-woong\u2019s graphic novel “Jessie\u2019s Diary,” on display at the first Korean Book Festival in Vancouver, Canada \/ Courtesy of Woorinabi<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Kim Hyun-ju serves on the board of the Fremont Union High School District in California. Courtesy of Kim Hyun-ju I want to help Korean American students take pride in their roots while growing into members of American society. At the first Korea Book Festival in Vancouver, Canada, which runs through Oct. 31, a very meaningful…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-korea"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t