Meritorious Service Record

Isabella Menzies was born on July 30, 1856, in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.
She arrived in Busan on October 12, 1891, as an Australian missionary. In 1895, she founded Ilshin Girls' School, the first modern educational institution for women in Busan and Gyeongsangnam-do, and served as its first principal.
Following Korea’s March 1st Independence Movement in 1919, Ilshin Girls' School teacher Joo Kyung-ae (朱敬愛) established contact with Busan Commercial School and informed her students about the movement. On March 10, 1919, eleven high school students from Ilshin Girls' School produced fifty Taegeukgi flags inside a closet. At that time, Isabella Menzies, who was the dormitory supervisor, provided thirty flagpoles to support the effort.
On March 11, 1919, after finishing their evening meal, the eleven high school students, including Kim Eung-su, along with teachers Joo Kyung-ae and Park Si-yeon, took the Taegeukgi flags and marched toward Jwacheon-dong. Principal Margaret Sandeman Davies and teacher Daisy Hocking joined the students at the protest site.
During the demonstration, Daisy Hocking encouraged the students to chant "Manse!" (Long live Korean independence!), leading them in the protest. Hundreds of citizens joined the students, and eventually, all key participants were arrested. Soon after, Japanese police arrested Margaret Davies and Daisy Hocking, detaining them at Busanjin Police Station.
In response, Menzies actively campaigned for their release. As a result, Davies and Hocking were freed on March 13. Later, in an effort to destroy evidence, Menzies burned the remaining Taegeukgi flags. The Japanese authorities ultimately granted her prosecutorial immunity, considering the potential international diplomatic repercussions.
In 2022, the South Korean government posthumously awarded Isabella Menzies the National Foundation Medal in recognition of her contributions to Korea’s independence.