In 2000, before his departure, General Zhao Nanqi applied to return to his hometown in South Korea to visit relatives
One of the first 17 generals to be awarded the rank of general of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Zhao Nanqi was the only general of ethnic Korean origin. His life experience sparked reverence and curiosity as he was able to overcome the barriers of language, culture, and nationality to steadily stay on the right path, growing from an obscure lad to a pillar of the nation.
General Zhao Nanqi's life was full of conscientious sweat and perseverance in the pursuit of truth. He fulfilled every task assigned by the party and the state with a prudent and down-to-earth attitude.
In 2000, General Cho Nam-ki visited South Korea as a member of the Chinese delegation as vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. While this is not unusual in his position, his Korean identity brings him additional attention and challenges.
Before his departure, Cho had applied to the organization to return to his hometown in South Korea to visit relatives, which showed his deep affection for his hometown, and even after great achievements in China, his affection for his roots remained strong.
Although he had the opportunity to return to his hometown, General Zhao Nanqi chose to focus on his work, showing his integrity and respect for the organization.
South Korea takes his visit very seriously because of his special identity and experience. During its official visit in April 2000, the Republic of Korea welcomed the arrival of the Chinese delegation with the highest courtesy, and this visit pushed the friendship between the two countries to a new height.
Cho Nam-ki's family background originated in North Chungcheongbuk-do, North Korea, and his grandfather, Cho Dong-sik, was a well-known local leader who rebelled against Japanese rule and fought hard for national pride. Zhao Nanqi was born with a loud cry, which was regarded as a good omen, so he was given the name "Nanqi". However, the environment in which he grew up was not easy. Under Japanese colonial rule, Zhao Nanqi faced pressure to be forced to use the Japanese language and Japanization, which made him feel disgusted and disgusted with school.
In order to receive an education, Zhao Nanqi was forced to change his name to "Toyota Nanqi" to comply with the regulations of the Japanese authorities. Despite his resistance to the name, with the encouragement of his grandfather, he promised to study hard and maintain national pride. However, he was very uncomfortable with the rules in the school and the discrimination against ethnic Koreans. Although he was smart and hardworking, his family's financial difficulties forced him to drop out of school, and the family moved to a Korean village in Yongji County, Jilin Province, where they worked as farmers.
Although life has changed a lot, Zhao Nanqi and his family are still full of hope, and they cherish a stable life in the black land of Northeast China.
In August 1945, after Japan announced its unconditional surrender, the northeast was in chaos, bandits were rampant, and the people lived in difficulty.
Zhao Nanqi couldn't bear it anymore, the Japanese invaders robbed him of a year's worth of food, and after the surrender, the bandits ravaged the countryside again, and he decided to stand up to protect his homeland.
He organized a self-defense force and joined the Jilin Liberation League to inspect the village and protect the villagers from invasion.
Autumn passed, winter came, a team appeared at the entrance of the village, they explained that they were here to buy food, and ** fair, but also to help repel the bandits, Zhao Nanqi's self-defense forces were deeply impressed by them.
Zhao Nanqi learned that the Northeast Democratic Alliance Army was short of food, and under the slogan of "welcoming relatives and offering food to show his heart", he lobbied various Korean villages to collect rice.
In just one month, he raised more than 250,000 catties of rice and became a celebrity in Northeast China.
General Zhou Baozhong, chairman of Jilin Province, praised Zhao Nanqi's deeds, saying that he did not expect this important event to be done by young people, and he believed that this was not only a grain delivery, but also the support of Korean compatriots for the Democratic Alliance.
Zhao Nanqi said that he wanted to join the Democratic Alliance Army, and General Zhou Baozhong suggested that he first go to a military academy to study and make greater contributions to the party's cause.
Cho Nam-ki excelled in the Korean War, creating many new methods of replenishment on the battlefield, such as shortening transportation and establishing an uninterrupted thousand-mile steel transportation line. These innovations made him a member of the Volunteer Army, and his heroic deeds were praised by the leadership. Although he faced some challenges after the war, including a difficult period of censorship and quarantine for six years, he remained loyal to the party and the country, constantly contributing to his hometown and homeland. His story is full of dedication and a deep attachment to his hometown, which is why he applied when he returned to Korea to visit his family.