Sin Chaeho
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sin Chaeho | |
|---|---|
| Hangul: |
신채호
|
| Hanja: |
申采浩
|
| Revised Romanization: | Sin Chae-ho |
| McCune-Reischauer: | Sin Ch'aeho |
Sin Chae-ho (1880-1936) was a Korean historian who questioned whether Korean territory should rightly be limited to only the peninsula, or whether claim could be laid upon areas such as Manchuria, which had at times been inhabited by sizeable Korean populations. He achieved popularity and prominence through his works published in the major newspapers of the day. His outright Korean nationalist views won him recognition and appreciation by both North and South Koreans in later years. Unlike the Japanese, who claimed historical connections to Manchuria to further imperialist pursuits, Sin lauded the long history his people in that area. Sin had been formally educated and was appointed a position at the Seonggyungwan in 1905. So strong were his nationalist feelings, however, that he vacated the position upon learning that Japan had announced Korean as its protectorate. He served on the editorial boards for two of the new papers, the Hwangseong sinmun 皇成新聞 and the Daehan maeil sinbo 大韓每日新報. Sin used his literary prestige to support the Patriotic Enlightenment Movement. He exiled himself to China in 1910 when Japan declared its annexation of Korea. While living in Manchuria, Beijing, and Shanghai, he continued writing nationalist Korean historical accounts and criticism of Japan’s imperialist approach to modernization. Japanese police located Sin, arrested him for treason and conspiracy, and sent him to prison in Manchuria, where he died. His legacy stands today as an inspiration to Koreans on both sides of the DMZ that Korean nationalism is truly a cause worth fighting for. Sin is largely responsible for making many historical figures, such as Yi Sunsin, into national heroes who could be idolized and emulated. He is the author of Joseon Sangosa, which describes the history of Korea from Gojoseon to the destruction of Goguryeo
