An Jung-geun
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- This is a Korean name; the family name is An.
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Ahn Jung-Geun or An Jung-Geun (September 2, 1879 - March 26, 1910) (Baptismal name: Thomas) was a Korean independence activist,[1][2] nationalist,[3][4] and pan-Asianist.[5][6]
He assassinated the first Prime Minister of Japan, Itō Hirobumi, following the signing of the Eulsa Treaty, with Korea on the verge of annexation by Japan.
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[edit] Biography
An was born in Haeju, Hwanghae Do, to a family of the Sunheung An lineage. He worked first in education, later joining the armed resistance against the Japanese colonial rulers. While fleeing the fighting he took refuge with a priest of the Roman Catholic Church named Wilhelm (Korean name, Hong Sok-ku) and hid in his church for several months. The priest encouraged An to read the Bible and after a series of discussions with Wilhelm, An converted to Catholicism in January 1897. He maintained his belief in Catholicism until his death, even asking his that his son become a priest in his last letter to his wife.[7]
An Jung-geun assassinated Ito Hirobumi on the railway platform in Harbin, Manchuria in 1909. After firing upon Hirobumi, he is said to have knelt down to make the sign of the cross, and yelled for Korean independence and waved the Korean flag. Afterwards he was arrested by Russian guards who held him for two days before turning him over to Japanese colonial authorities. An was quoted as saying "I have ventured to commit a serious crime, offering my life for my country. This is the behavior of a noble-minded patriot."[7] Despite the orders from a Korean Bishop to not to administer the Sacraments to An, Fr. Wilhelm disobeyed and went to give An the Last Sacraments. An insisted that the captors call him by his baptismal name, Thomas.
His Japanese captors showed sympathy to An. An recorded in his autobiography that the public prosecutor, Mizobuchi Takao, exclaimed "From what you have told me, it is clear that you are a righteous man of East Asia. I can't believe a sentence of death will be imposed on a righteous man. There's nothing to worry about." He was also given New Year's delicacies and his calligraphy was highly admired and requested.[7]
Japanese colonial court sentenced him to death. An was angered at the sentence, though he expected it. He had hoped to be viewed as a prisoner of war instead of an assassin. Judge Hirashi, who presided over An's trial, had promised An that a stay of execution for at least a few months would be granted, but Tokyo ordered prompt action. An did not appeal the verdict, though he did ask for the warden's help to finish his essay, "On Peace in East Asia" and for a set of white silk Korean clothes to die in. The warden was able to grant the second request and resigned shortly afterwards. The execution by hanging took place in Port Arthur, then also known as Ryojun on March 26, 1910. Itō's death resulted in the acceleration of the final stage of the colonization process.[7]
An Jung-Geun was an admirer of Emperor Meiji of Japan. One of the 15 'charges' An leveled against Ito was that he had deceived the Emperor of Japan, whom An felt desired peace in East Asia and Korean independence. An requested that Meiji be informed of his reasons for his assassination of Ito in the hopes that if Meiji understood his reasons, the emperor would realize how mistaken Ito's policies were and would rejoice. An also felt sure that most Japanese felt similar hatred for Ito, an opinion he formed from talking with Japanese prisoners in Korea.[7]
For his actions as a resistance fighter, he was awarded South Korea's Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1962.
[edit] Pan-Asianism
An strongly believed in a union of the three great countries in East Asia, China, Korea, and Japan in order to counter and fight off the "White Peril", being the European countries engaged in colonialism, restoring peace to East Asia. He followed the progress of Japan during the Russo-Japanese War and claimed that he and his compatriots were delighted at hearing of the defeat of one of the agents of the White Peril, but was disappointed that the war ended before Russia was totally subjugated.
An felt that with the death of Itō, Japan and Korea could become friends because of the many traditions that they shared. He hoped that this friendship, along with China, would become a model for the world to follow. His thoughts on Pan-Asianism were stated in his essay, "On Peace in East Asia" that he worked on and left unfinished before his execution.[7]
[edit] In popular culture
He is commemorated in the martial art Taekwondo with the Joon Gun pattern being dedicated to him.
Novelist Bok Geo-il's 1987 novel Looking for an Epitaph (碑銘(비명)을 찾아서) is an alternate history story, which is set in the 1980's of Korea that remained a permanent colony of Japan, as a cascade effect of An's failure to assassinate Ito. The Korean movie 2009 Lost Memories is very loosely based on the novel but tells a completely different story. In the Korean film, An Jung-geun is spotted and killed by Japanese soldiers before he is able to shoot Ito Hirobumi. The subsequent butterfly effect makes Japan join the allied side during WW2 and become a permanent member of the UN Security Council, enduring the Japanese occupation of Korea till the beginning of the 21st century.
In the PC game Civilization IV expansion pack, Beyond the Sword, An Jung-geun is a Great Spy.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ What Defines a Hero?. Japan Society. Retrieved on 2008-01-29.
- ^ Ito, Hirobumi. Portrait of Modern japanese Historical Figures. Retrieved on 2008-01-29.
- ^ Ito Hirobumi. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on 2008-01-29.
- ^ Dudden, Alexis (2005). Japan's Colonization of Korea: Discourse and Power. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 0-82482-829-1.
- ^ [http://www.ndl.go.jp/site_nippon/kensei/shiryou/limage/Gazou_40_3.html "Peace of East Asia " Thesis written by An Jung-geun in 1910]
- ^ Shin, Gi-Wook (2006). Ethnic Nationalism in Korea. Standford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-5408-X.
- ^ a b c d e f Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World, 1852–1912 by Donald Keene, Columbia University Press, 2002. ISBN 0-231-12340-X
[edit] External links
- 2009 Lost Memories at the Internet Movie Database
- Catholic Church in Korea and the Nationalist Movement. Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea. Retrieved on December 15, 2005.
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | An, Jung-Geun |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | 안중근, 安重根 |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Korean independence activist, nationalist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 2, 1879 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Haeju, Korea |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 26, 1910 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Lüshunkou, China |
