Han Duk-su

Han Duk-su (; February 18, 1907 – February 21, 2001) was a North Korean activist who founded the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) in 1955. His activism started when he moved to Atami in 1933 and advocated for the rights of Zainichi Koreans who were forced to work on the Tanna Tunnel in Japan. However, he was arrested for this a year later, being sentenced to two years in prison.

Early life Han Duk-su was born on February 18, 1907 in the Korean Empire as the eldest son of Han Gi Man and Jang Nae Gok. Han left Korea to study in Japan in 1927, wishing to become a vocalist, but was unable to pass the entrance exam for a music school. Two years later, he instead entered the Department of Social Sciences at Nihon University in Tokyo and worked as a newspaper deliveryman before dropping out. Afterwards, he turned his attention to the labor movement, and in 1931, he joined the Tokyo branch of the general trade union under the National Trade Union Council. After the end of the Pacific War, he led the formation of the Korean Association in the Kantō region and oversaw the formation of the League of Koreans in Japan (Chōren) in October 1945, serving as chairman of the Kanakawa Prefecture headquarters and central headquarters, and later serving as Director General.

Death On February 21, 2001, Han Duk-su died in Tokyo, Japan from pneumonia. Afterwards, a funeral committee was appointed with So Man-sul as its chairman and Ho Jong-man as vice chairman.