Cha, Hee-kwan: He donated independence funds as President of the Korean National Association in Matanzas, Cuba.

In 2014, the South Korean government posthumously recognized him with the Order of Merit of National Foundation / National Foundation Commendation for his contribution toward the Korean independence movement by teaching Korean history and activities of the Provisional Government in Shanghai in China.

In 2015, on the 70th Anniversary of the Korean Liberation, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs of the Republic of Korea announced new and additional 46 Korean American Patriots(out of 257: 24 in the United States, 19 in Mexico and 3 in Cuba).

In 2015, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs of the Republic of Korea announced new and additional 257 Korean American Patriots celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Korean Liberation. On August 11, the Ministry announced those Korean patriots who have sacrificed their precious lives during the Korean independence movement in America, China and Russia. Out of all 257 patriots, 46 independence patriots came from America. The independence patriots were recognized by the South Korean government: 151 Order of Merit of National Foundation (I Independence, 61 Patriotism, 89 Patriotic People Awards) 41 National Foundation and 65 Presidential Commendations. Since the South Korean government started to recognize independence patriots in 1949, the government awarded 13,408 patriots over the last 66 years of history. Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Korean liberation, the government awarded 24 patriots in America, 19 in Mexico and 3 in Cuba totaling 46. One Patriotism (Hahn, Jae-myung), 6Patriotic People ( Moon/Hahn, Sung-sun; Lee/Yang, Jae-hyun; Ahn, Jung-soo; Kim, Hongkyun and Hwangbo, Young-joo). And Mexico had 19 patriots (Yim, Byung-il; Kim, Tae-jin; Kim, Jung-sik; Bang, Younghwa; Gong, In-duk; Kang, Heung-sik; Lee, Jong-o; Huh, Hwan; Suh, Choon-dong; Kim, Tae-sik; Kim, Chun-moon; Lee, Myung-won; Cha, Young-chun; Lee, Young-soon; Hwangbo, Youngjoo; Kang, Kyung-sook; Choi, Changsun; Kim, Hee-chul and Kim, Sae-chun.) Cuba had 3 patriots (Ki, Sae-won; Kim, Chee-il and Lee, Yin-sang). We have three new female independence patriots in America: Moon(Hahn), Sung-sun; Lee, Sung-nay and Lee (Yang), Jae-hyun. Mother Moon(Hahn), Sung-sun became independence patriots with her son Hahn, Seedae while wife Lee(Yang) Jae-hyun became another independence movement maker with her husband. From Mexico, we had new Gong, In-duk and Lee, Jong-o for early Korean independence patriots. Hahn, Jae-myung from America posted the third highest merit of National Foundation Award out of 257 patriots. On March 1, 2015, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans announced Lee, Geun-sung for National Foundation Commendation. This makes 47 patriots awarded in America in 2015 plus 168 patriots from 1949 through 2014 total 215 from the United States.