Meritorious Service Record

On February 8, 1919, when Korean students in Tokyo declared independence, he took on their legal defense.
In 1923, when members of the Uiyeoldan (義烈團), including Kim Si-hyeon (金始顯), were arrested for planning to bomb Japanese colonial government buildings, Fuse traveled to Seoul to represent Kim Si-hyeon in court.
In 1924, he also defended Kim Ji-seop (金祉燮), who carried out the Nijubashi Bridge Bombing Incident (二重橋投彈義擧) in an attempt to assassinate the Japanese emperor.
In 1926, he represented Park Yeol (朴烈) and Kaneko Fumiko (金子文子), who were accused of plotting to assassinate the Japanese emperor and imperial family. Fuse argued for their acquittal due to a lack of evidence. That same year, he investigated a long-standing land dispute and peasant resistance movement in Naju (羅州), where local farmers fought to reclaim land seized by the Oriental Development Company (東洋拓殖會社).
In 1927, he provided legal support for Kwon O-seol (權五卨) and Kang Dal-yeong (姜達永), who were arrested for activities related to the Korean Communist Party (朝鮮共産黨). He exposed police torture and helped them file legal complaints against their mistreatment.
After turning into a public attorney, Fuse Tatsuji defended the rights of oppressed people in Japan’s colonies, including Korea and Taiwan, believing in social equality and justice. He frequently delivered lectures on social issues at public forums organized by civic groups and media organizations.
As early as 1911, he was investigated by Japanese authorities for writing an article titled "Respect for Korea’s Independence Movement." Due to his consistent legal advocacy for Koreans and other colonial subjects, he was subjected to multiple penalties, including three suspensions of his law license and two imprisonments.
The South Korean government posthumously awarded him the Order of Merit for National Foundation (National Medal) in 2004.