A man survived on the Truk Islands with 7 women for 8 years. During this time, they had 27 children (11 photos)

In the 1940s, an amazing story happened in the Pacific Ocean, more like a script for an adventure film. One man found himself on the Truk Islands, surrounded by seven women. Without communication with the outside world, without the possibility of leaving these lands, they lived together for almost eight years, and during this time they had 27 children.





A Brief History



After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States declared war on Japan, entering World War II.

And the American strike on Truk was devastating:

From February 17 to 18, 1944, at the height of the war in the Pacific, the American military suddenly launched a powerful air strike on the Truk Islands.

These islands were of strategic importance to the Japanese Imperial Navy - one of Japan's largest naval bases was located here, comparable in importance to the American Pearl Harbor. It was from here that the Japanese coordinated their naval operations in Micronesia.

By the time of the attack, more than 40,000 Japanese soldiers, 500 nurses, about 400 Korean workers and many women from different countries, who were used to comfort the military, were on Truk Island.

During this attack, Japan lost 3 cruisers, 4 destroyers, 2 submarines, 3 small warships, 32 merchant ships, and 270 aircraft destroyed in the bombing.





These losses dealt a serious blow to the Japanese fleet.

By cutting off Japanese supply lines, the United States forced the Japanese to begin a mass evacuation of the island. However, in the chaos of the retreat, the Japanese command simply abandoned or forgot about a Korean worker named Kim Yong Gil and seven Japanese women on the island, leaving them alone to fight for survival.

At first, the Korean hiding in the basement from the bombing thought that he was alone



Having left the basement a day after the bombing, the Korean saw chaos around him; almost all the surviving camp tents had a similar picture: scattered clothes, scattered tables and chairs, abandoned things, traces of a hasty escape.

Fear and confusion gripped Kim Yong Gil as he ran out onto the factory grounds. Where life had once been, there was now emptiness. There was not a single ship left in the harbor, and the only sounds in the silence were the hum of a radio station and muffled echoes of someone's screams.

Reality gradually began to dawn on him: the Japanese had evacuated, leaving him alone on the island.

But suddenly, women's voices rang out in the silence.



"Someone else is here! I'm not alone!" flashed through his mind. Filled with hope, Kim Yong Gil rushed towards the sound. When he reached the source, he saw seven Japanese women - they had not been evacuated in time, either abandoned or unable to do so.

They looked at each other in complete silence.

And then the women burst into tears. They did not speak the same language, but their body language replaced words - they hugged, patted each other on the back, trying to somehow console themselves.

When the tears dried up, Kim Yong Gil pulled himself together. He went to look for other survivors, but when he found no one, he realized that they were truly alone. Which meant that now he had to take care not only of himself, but also of those who were nearby.

Struggle for Survival on the Island



The Truk Islands, located in the eastern part of the Caroline Islands, have a warm tropical climate. The average annual temperature here is 26°C, and nature generously gifts the islanders with fruits and seafood. Catching fish and shrimp in the local waters is not difficult, which makes survival relatively easy even after a hypothetical shipwreck.

However, the situation was even simpler for Kim Yong Gil and the seven Japanese women: until recently, there were Japanese military bases, factories, and food warehouses on the island. During the first months of their life in isolation, these supplies allowed them to eat without much difficulty and wait for help.

But gradually the food ran out, and the hope of rescue faded. They realized that no one would come back for them.

Thoughts began to creep into their heads that perhaps this island had become their new home - forever.

In the new conditions, Kim Yong Gil, as the only man, took on the most difficult duties. He caught fish every day, collected fruit, got fresh water, and provided the women with food.



The Japanese women, in turn, were busy with household chores - cooking, washing, mending clothes and maintaining order in the camp tents where they spent the night.

Fate smiled upon them when Kim Yong Gil accidentally discovered an abandoned Japanese warehouse with rice supplies. This gave the group the opportunity to relax a little. However, joy does not come alone, and soon an unpleasant surprise awaited them.



A Japanese military hospital on Truk Island in modern times

Truk Island experiences typhoon season from August to November. One of the powerful storms hit the island, uprooting trees and turning former military buildings into ruins. The tents the group used for living were destroyed, and the entire responsibility for building new huts (near the shore so the group could signal passing ships) fell on the shoulders of Kim Yong Gil.

Over time, he became the group's indispensable support. His physical strength, endurance, and ability to adapt made him not only a protector, but also a de facto leader. In isolation, far from civilization, he became a man on whom the lives of seven women depended.

Biology took its toll: how Kim Yong Gil became the husband of seven women



Over time, Japanese women began to see Kim Yong Gil not just as a protector, but also as a man worthy of admiration. They felt safe with him, confident that he would lead them out of any trouble. Gradually, women began to show more and more romantic interest in him.

To improve communication, Japanese women began to teach the Korean their language. Although he already knew some phrases because he worked in a Japanese factory, his knowledge of the language was still not enough to fully communicate. At first, he memorized individual words, but over time he mastered Japanese so well that he could hold everyday conversations.

As often happens in such circumstances, relationships began between people forced to live in isolation. Soon Kim Yong Gil became the de facto husband of seven women at once. To avoid conflicts and jealousy, he discussed the terms of their life together with them, and everyone agreed that he would spend time with each wife in his hut in turn.

Eight years passed in this way. During this time, 27 children were born on the island.

The women divided the responsibilities among themselves: some were engaged in fishing and farming, some cooked and washed, and some took care of the children. Life in isolation became a new way of life for them, in which they found their happiness.

Why did no one return to these islands after the war?



After the surrender of Japan in 1945, the Truk Islands came under the control of the United States as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and were not used for any purpose.

The Americans did not pay much attention to these islands until 1953. In addition, these islands were located in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean, far from the main sea trade routes. After the war, they were of no military or economic interest, so few ships visited them.

Because of this, a group of people who survived on the shore were completely alone on one of the Truk Islands for a long time. However, there were several tribes of islanders on the neighboring islands who had no contact with the group.

Rescue: Return to Civilization



In early 1953, Kim Yong Gil was spotted fishing from a passing American military vessel signaling them with a white rag.

When the sailors landed and learned that they were looking at a man who had lived on an uninhabited island for eight years, surrounded by seven women and many children, the story immediately became a sensation, first in Japan and Korea, and then throughout Asia.

Kim Yong Gil was repatriated to South Korea (since his native home was Seoul), his "wives" and children were sent to Japan. However, after some time, he began to miss his family and tried to find his loved ones through the Japanese embassy. It turned out that five of his ex-wives had remarried, and some of the children had been given to orphanages.

Only two women, who continued to raise their children, decided to reunite with Kim Yong Gil and move to him in South Korea.

In 1979, Kim Yong Gil died of illness. His ashes were scattered in three places that played a key role in his fate: Japan, South Korea and the Truk Islands, where he spent eight unforgettable years.