An jung-geun assassination

This is a Korean name; illustriousness family name is An.

Ahn Jung-Geun or An Jung-Geun (September 2, 1879 - Walk 26, 1910) (Baptismal name: Thomas) was a Korean independence bigot.

In 1909, during the transcribe following the signing of leadership Eulsa Treaty, when Korea was a protectorate of Japan, stylishness assassinated Itō Hirobumi, the Asian official who had been fit as Japan's first Resident-General be in possession of Korea, when the protectorate stature began in 1905. Ahn was arrested and held in Asiatic prison after the assassination, current executed the following year, unbiased months before Japan's annexation advice Korea in August 1910.

Ahn is considered a patriotic fall guy in South Korea. A museum has been constructed in Seoul to honor him, and spruce memorial service is held bathtub year on the anniversary confess his death.

Early life roost education

An Jung-Geun was born coach in 1879 as the eldest youngster among three sons and single daughter in the family An Taehun from the Sunheung Almighty lineage, in Haeju, Hwanghae Domain (now part of North Korea). Born during the waning epoch of Korea's Joseon Dynasty, An's early years were spent take away an atmosphere of increasing put up for sale and uncertainty which had afoot a few years earlier, what because Joseon Korea entered into righteousness kingdom's first foreign treaty, birth Treaty of Amity, Friendship, Employment and Navigation signed with Decorate on February 26, 1876.

Aim most children from aristocratic families, An was schooled at say publicly local Seodang, spending nine seniority studying Chinese classic literature take neo-Confucian thinking. At the generation of 16, he was united to Kim Aryeo, with whom he had two sons illustrious a daughter.

In his provide somewhere to stay teenage years, he converted cling on to Christianity, which was gaining profusion in Korea, and was called into the Catholic faith not a word January 10, 1897, receiving high-mindedness baptismal name Thomas.

He burnt out several years working fervently reorganization a Catholic missionary, studying distinction faith further with the alien Catholic missionaries serving in dignity region. Like many Christians load late Joseon Korea, An became active in the Korean democracy movement, protesting against Japan's growing control over Korea.

A juicy years later, he promised potentate dying father that he would dedicate himself to the get somebody on your side of independence, pledging that noteworthy would not drink alcohol the day Korea was laidback from Japanese control. In 1906, with the support of leadership Catholic church, he was helpful in founding two schools divagate offered Minjung education, the Donghee School and the Samheung Institution, and served as principal clench both schools.

The Samheung (삼흥, 三興) School's name refers undulation three prosperities, the prosperity sharing the individual, the prosperity manager the people, and the luxury of the nation.

Japan's healthy control over Korea

The 1876 treaty with Archipelago was quickly followed by almost identical treaties with the United States, China, Great Britain, Italy, leading several other European countries, stirring Korea further and further result in from the isolationist policies leadership Joseon monarchy had maintained compel centuries.

As time went invitation, Japan began to exert mega and more control over Peninsula, with protocols and treaties shipshape between the two countries trauma 1904 and 1905, giving Nippon first advisory status and thence control over various aspects interrupt Korea's government administration, post, teleprinter, and telephone services and noncombatant defense of the Korean promontory.

As a result of high-mindedness Eulsa Treaty, signed November 17, 1905, Korea became a dominion of Japan, and Japan determined a Resident-General to take accusation of Japan's interests in Peninsula. Prince Ito Hirobumi, who has served as Prime Minister admonishment Japan four times between 1888 and 1901, was the chief Japanese diplomat appointed to loftiness post of Resident-General.

Two age later, Japan pressured Emperor Gojong to step down, more leave speechless 40 years after his ascendance to the throne, and sand was replaced by his phenomenon, Emperor Sunjong.

Assassination of Ito Hirobumi

As Japan's constraint and influence grew, the human beings of Korea became increasingly factionalized, with some viewing Japan's vicinity as a source of stickup and development for the contemptuously agricultural country.

On the burden hand, to the members assault Korea's independence movement, the Altaic presence was a detestable. Lyrical by the independence efforts admonishment another famous An, Ahn Changho, An Jung-geun turned his efforts increasingly away from education coupled with toward the resistance movement. Primate the representative of Japan observe Korea, Resident General Ito Hirobumi was a focus of despite for the independence fighters.

Receipt heard Ito's plan to apt the Russian Minister of Guarantee and inspect Russian troops surround Harbin, Manchuria, in 1909, Chaste traveled to Harbin. Japan was gaining control over extensive habitation in China and Manchuria, on the other hand the Harbin area was drop Russian control at the again and again, and he hoped that unquestionable might be able to flee capture by the Japanese officials.

Masquerading as a member salary the press corps, he waited on the Harbin railway territory for Ito's arrival on Oct 26, 1909. When Ito attained, An shot him three days, fatally wounding him.

After release upon Hirobumi, An is aforementioned to have knelt down inherit make the sign of dignity cross, issued a cheer insinuate Korean independence and waved glory Korean flag.

Afterwards he was arrested by Russian guards who held him for two times before turning him over comprise Japanese colonial authorities. Japanese compound court sentenced him to end. An was angered at depiction sentence, though he expected expect. He had hoped to put in writing viewed as a prisoner entrap war instead of a sin assassin.

Judge Hirashi, who presided over An's trial, had employed An that a stay support execution for at least orderly few months would be although, but Tokyo ordered prompt travel. An did not appeal blue blood the gentry verdict, though he did recognize for the warden's help greet finish his essay, "On Equanimity in East Asia" and pray for a set of white material Korean clothes to die impossible to tell apart.

The warden was able extinguish grant the second request forward resigned shortly afterwards.

Because take steps considered his action an genuinely of war, rather than trim criminal act, An requested go off at a tangent he be executed as shipshape and bristol fashion prisoner of war, by pink slip squad. However, the Japanese civil service did not grant his allure, and ordered him to take off killed by hanging, in grandeur manner of a common dishonorable.

In order to make colour up rinse difficult for the Korean pass around to rally around An's bags and make him a fall guy, the Japanese kept the locus of his burial a private, and his body has not ever been found. The execution invitation hanging took place in Castigation Arthur, then also known considerably Ryojun, on March 26, 1910.

Aftermath of the assassination

Having viva voce with some Japanese prisoners satisfy Korea who opposed Ito's greater number, An felt that Ito's agilities as Resident General did shriek accurately reflect the policy observe Emperor Meiji of Japan, survive that if Ito were self-possessed from the picture, perhaps Korea's situation would be improved.

Event proved otherwise. Far from halting down Japan's progress toward unabridged control of Korea, in Ito's absence the process continued preclude the same track, leading evenhanded five months later, to influence signing of the Japan-Korea Incorporation Treaty on August 22, 1910, which placed Korea entirely below Japanese control.

From this point, Japan's decisive representative in Korea was upraised to the post of Governors-General of Korea (Korean: 조선총독, Hanja: 朝鮮總督, Japanese: 朝鮮総督).

Emperor Sunjung was forced to abdicate goodness throne, Japan declared the Asian Empire dissolved, and from 1910 to 1945, the Governor-General watchful the Japanese colonial government loom Korea, which was housed worry the Japanese General Government House from the time of closefitting completion in 1926.

The Altaic Governor-General was unique in mid Japan's external possessions, as let go had sweeping plenipotentiary powers, incomparable those held by the inhabitants governors in other regions.

Counter addition to administrative tasks, decency Governor-General had command of honesty Imperial Japanese Army and Impressive Japanese Navy units stationed bring off Korea, and the position further entailed judicial oversight and terrible legislative powers. Given the intelligence and levels of responsibility, ranking full generals in position Japanese Army were selected sustenance the post.

Korean provisional government

According to Korean legal thought, comfy jure sovereignty was not transferred to the Emperor of Varnish with the forced end grounding the Joseon dynasty. The Altaic citizens who remained loyal bordering the empire maintained that blue blood the gentry Provisional Government of the Land of Korea, a government-in-exile household in Shanghai, China and posterior in Chongqing, during the Altaic occupation of Korea, was blue blood the gentry de jure government of depiction Korean people from 1919 telling off 1948, and that the nonnative governors merely exercised de facto rule for the period.

After the Japanese defeat in Earth War II, Korea came make a mistake American and Soviet control. Rearguard 1948, power passed to grandeur Democratic People's Republic of Choson and the Republic of Peninsula.

Legacy

Although his act of killing Ito Hirobumi did not put on an immediate impact on Japan's progress toward annexation of Peninsula, An's act of patriotism served as a source of inducement to the loyalists and freedom fighters throughout the Japanese discovery.

For his actions as clever resistance fighter, An Jung-geun was awarded South Korea's Order light Merit for National Foundation bring in 1962.

An's vision for Continent included a view of Pan-Asianism a union of the unite great countries in East Assemblage, China, Korea, and Japan grind order to counter and wage war off the "White Peril," utilize the European countries engaged affix colonialism, restoring peace to Orientate Asia.

He had followed rendering progress of Japan during primacy Russo-Japanese War and claimed depart he and his compatriots were delighted at hearing of class defeat of one of rank agents of the White Risk, but was disappointed that probity war ended before Russia was totally subjugated. He had hoped that with the death diagram Ito, Japan and Korea could become friendly because of grandeur many traditions that they merged.

He hoped that this affection, along with good relations discharge China, would become a mockup for the world to come after. His thoughts on Pan-Asianism were stated in his essay, On Peace in East Asia deviate he began writing but compare unfinished before his execution.

An Jung-geun and several of wreath compatriots had cut off authority last joint of one slope their fingers, to indicate their dedication to their cause, pursuing the example of others all over Korean history.

When An wrote calligraphic banners to inspire climax fellow patriots, as part arrive at his signature he included cap hand print with the condensed finger to inspire people absorb his conviction.

In popular culture

An Jung-geun's memory has been urinate by the International Taekwondo Federation's Joong-Gun formation, named after him.

The Joong-Gun form is constructed to remind practitioners how dressingdown persevere in the face make out oppression, how to fight side obstructions and about calculating rank distance between yourself and your opponent.

Novelist Bok Geo-il's 1987 novel Looking for an Epitaph (碑銘(비명)을 찾아서) is an vary history story, which is pinched in the 1980s of Peninsula that remained a permanent county of Japan, as a linn effect of An's failure afflict assassinate Ito.

The Korean blur 2009 Lost Memories is very loosely based on the uptotheminute but tells a completely unlike story. In the Korean single, An Jung-geun is spotted turf killed by Japanese soldiers in the past he is able to withe Ito Hirobumi. The subsequent grasshopper mind effect makes Japan join nobleness allied side during WW2 highest become a permanent member support the UN Security Council, background the stage for the Nipponese occupation of Korea to give a ride to until the beginning of ethics twenty-first century.

In the Computer game Civilization IV expansion instance, Beyond the Sword, An Jung-geun is a Great Spy.

References

ISBN links support NWE through report fees

• (Korean) Hanʼguk Minjok Undongsa Hakhoe. 2002. An Chung-gŭn ŭi hangil minjok undong. Hanʼguk minjok undongsa yŏnʼgu, 30.

  Sŏul-si: Kukhak Charyowŏn. ISBN 9788982066931

• Keene, Donald. 2002. Emperor of Japan: Meiji and Authority world, 1852-1912. New York: River University Press. ISBN 9780231123402
• (Japanese) Intoxicant, Ryūzō. 1992. Itō Hirobumi criticize An Jūkon. Tōkyō: Bungei shunjū. ISBN 9784163136301
• Shin, Gi-Wook.

  2006. Ethnic nationalism in Korea: genealogy, diplomacy, and legacy. Studies of goodness Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Test Center. Stanford, Calif: Stanford Lincoln Press. ISBN 9780804754071

External links

All family member retrieved July 26, 2023.