The 31st Man

Who Is The 31St Man? My Story Takes Place In The Countryside 220 Kilometers South Of Seoul In The Mid-Thirties. Our Township'S Involvement In What Transpired During That Period Converges With Historical Events And Provides A Rare And Compelling Glimpse Into Korea'S Past. When I Was A Young Boy Our Township'S Well-Respected Teacher Was Known By His Alias Mr. Kang. He Was In Fact A Legendary Political Fugitive The Sole Escapee Of The Famous 31-Man Rebel Group Who Orchestrated The 1919 Nation-Wide Uprising Against Japanese Rule. In The Aftermath Of This Event Mr. Kang Had Been Traveling For Nearly 17 Years Sometimes As An Itinerant Poet Other Times As A Hunter Thus Earning A Cryptic Code Name Tiger Hunter. One Day A Rumor Surfaced Accusing Mr. Kang Of Abusing His 14-Year-Old Student The Beautiful Daughter Of Mr. Hung Township Chief. This Act Supposedly Took Place In Dense Fog Under The Famous Virgin Bridge. As A Result The Local Waenom ('Foreign Devil' Policeman) Put Mr. Kang Under Surveillance. As We Students Watched Mr. Kang Challenged The Waenom To A Fight And He Felled The Policeman With A Single Blow. We Cheered Of Course And Mr. Kang Fled Later That Day Accompanied By His Errand Boy Poong Do. The Policeman Was Able To Go Home Unaided But Committed A Hara-Kiri Next Day.