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Family of Choi Natalia, who looks after Heo Ro-ja. Cho is second from left and Heo is in the middle.
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Uzbek Korean to receive gov’t payment owed to her
Heo Rosa, the eldest granddaughter of Heo Wi and daughter of Heo Hyeong, both renowned resistance fighters against imperial Japan, will be given the pension owed to her by the government. While registered as a direct descendent of Heo Wi, Heo Rosa had been unsuccessful in her attempts to collect the South Korean government pension owed to her. The Hankyoreh had profiled Heo’s story on September 16. The Hankyoreh found that the poor management of Heo’s case was due to missteps taken by the Korean Embassy in Uzbekistan and the Daegu Regional Patriots & Veterans Affairs Agency. The Ministry of Patriots & Veterans Affairs announced on the 19th that "Ms. Heo Rosa was recently found to be a daughter of Heo Hyeong. Government compensation in the form of a pension will be awarded to her." Ms. Heo will receive payments twice a year in May and November, with each payment equal to six months’ pension (amounting to about US$13,000 yearly). Patriot Heo Hyung (also known as Heo Hak, 1887-1940) was the eldest son of Heo Wi (also known as Wangsan, 1854-1908). The father led national resistance forces against Japan in Korea and was executed in Seodaemun Prison; his sons followed in their father’s footsteps, resisting Japanese rule in Manchuria. The South Korean government in 1991 posthumously awarded Heo Hyung for his contributions to the foundation of the nation; Heo Wi had previously been honored. But when Heo Rosa submitted an application for compensation to the Korean embassy in Uzbekistan last August, she used only her grandfather’s name on the form. The embassy rejected her application, saying that another descendant of Heo Wi was already receiving payment - current law allows only one grandchild per patriot to receive compensation. The embassy based its reply on word from the Daegu Regional Patriots & Veterans Affairs Agency, in charge of handling the case. However, both the embassy and the veterans agency missed the fact that not only Heo’s grandfather but also her father was an honored patriot. The veterans agency explained, "the application was denied because Ms. Heo Rosa filed the application as a grandchild of Heo Wi at the time." It is unclear how both institutions could overlook such an obvious family connection. Upon hearing news of the approval of Heo Rosa’s compensation, Choi Natasha (49), a niece also living in Uzbekistan, said, "last week, I heard from a relative in Russia that she could receive the compensation. I am so happy and grateful."
