Kim Gu
Encyclopedia
Kim Gu the sixth and later the last president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
, was a Korean politician, educator, leader of Korean independence movement
against the Japanese occupation of Korea
that lasted from 1910 to 1945, and reunification activist who had struggled for the independent reunification of Korea
since its national division
in 1945.
July 11), 1876 in Teot-gol (텃골), Baek-un-bang (백운방), Haeju
(해주; 海州), South Hwanghae Province, Korea
, the only son of a poor farmer Kim Soon Young (김순영) and his wife Kwak Nack Won (곽낙원). His name at birth was Kim Changahm . When he was nine years old, he started to study Chinese classic texts
such as Zizhi Tongjian
(자치통감; 資治通鑒), and Great Learning
(대학; 大學) at local seodang
s.
At the age of 16, Kim applied for the Gwageo
(Imperial Examination) of Joseon
but failed. After that, he joined the Donghak
movement in 1893 and changed his name to Kim Changsoo . As the organization grew rapidly, he was appointed the district leader of Palbong (팔봉) at the age of 17 and led hundreds of subordinates. Kim commanded a Donghak army regiment in the 1894 Donghak Peasant Revolution
. Following the instruction of Donghak leader Choi Si Hyung (최시형), Kim Gu's troops stormed the Haeju fort in Hwanghae-do, but the army was eventually defeated by governmental forces. After that, Kim Gu was defeated by his companion, Lee Dong-yeop (이동엽) in the turf war of Donghak’s organization. Thereafter, General An Tae-hun (안태훈; the father of the An Jung-geun
who later killed Ito Hirobumi
) of the royal army gave Kim Gu's Donghak rebels a safe pass, but other government troops ignored An's safe pass and attacked them. At 20, with Kim I-eon whom he had met around Yalu River
, he attacked the royal army of the Gang-gye fort, supported by the Qing Dynasty
's army. However, the attack failed and Kim Gu went into hiding.
(명성황후), the wife of Emperor Gojong (고종) of the Korean Empire was assassinated by a group of Japanese assassins (the Eulmi Incident; 을미사변; 乙未事變). Miura Goro, then Japan's Resident Minister in Korea, was suspected as the mastermind of the assassination. In February 1896, Kim stayed at an inn in Chihapo, Hwanghae
Province while traveling to southern regions. There he found a Japanese man named Tsuchida Josuke (土田譲亮), who was disguised as a Korean and concealing a Japanese sword, and killed him believing that he was involved in the assassination of the queen. In his biography 'Baekbeom Ilji' (白凡逸志), Kim describes his motivation at the time as follows:
The following morning, Kim attacked Tsuchida, took his sword, and killed him with it. The "Report from acting administrator Hagihara Moriichi of Incheon
Consulate on the current situation of Incheon" describes Tsuchida as a "commoner from Nagasaki Prefecture
" and an "employee of a Nagasaki trader on a business trip". However, this does not prove that Tsuchida was not involved in the assassination of the Empress Myeongseong, as this assassination was carried out not only by Japanese soldiers but also by many Japanese Ronin
s, as described in the report by Ezo Ishizuka (石塚英藏), the Japanese adviser to the Korean Empire at the time. In addition, Kim stated in 'Baekbeom Ilji' that Tsuchida was concealing a sword and had identification papers that showed him to be a Japanese army lieutenant. Official Japanese interrogation police records from the time also verify the fact that Tsuchida was carrying a sword around.
After the killing, Kim left a hand-written document which said "Kim Changsoo from Haeju, Hwanghae Province, killed this Japanese man to revenge the murder of Korean Queen", as documented in Baekbeom Ilji. He waited at his home at Haeju for three months before the police came and arrested him.
In prison, Kim had a chance to read newly published textbooks about western culture and science such as Taesoe Shinsa (태서신사; 泰西新史) and Saegye Jiji (세계지지; 世界地誌). He was deeply impressed by the strengths of new western science and recognized the importance of education for the Korean people. He started to teach about 100 illiterate prisoners in the prison. The Korean newspaper Hwhangsung Shinbo (황성신보; 皇城新報) reported at the time that Kim Chang Soo changed the Inchoen Prison into a school by teaching prisoners.
In 1898 he broke out of prison and escaped into Magoksa (마곡사; 麻谷寺), a Buddhist temple in Gongju
(공주; 公州), Chungcheong
province, and entered the Buddhist priesthood. Kim left the priesthood and returned to Hwanghae a year later, where he devoted himself to the enlightenment and education of the Korean people, founding (장연학교; 長淵學校) and the Yangsan School (양산학교; 楊山學校) in 1907, becoming the principal of the Yangsan School. In 1904, he married Choi Jun Rye (최준례) from Sincheon (신천), Hwanghae Province.
(을사조약; 乙巳條約) was made between Japan and Korea, making Korea a protectorate of Japan. Kim participated in a mass protest against the treaty in Seoul
and presented a memorial to Emperor Gwangmu urging him to withdraw from the treaty. In 1908, Kim joined Shin Min Hoi (신민회, 新民會, New People's Association
), a national-level underground organization established by Ahn Chang Ho (안창호) for nonviolent Korean independence movement.
In 1910, the Japanese colonial government arrested An Myung Geun (안명근; 安明根), a cousin of the An Jung-Geun
(안중근; 安重根) who killed Ito Hirobumi
, for plotting to assassinate Governor-General Terauchi Masatake
. Kim, who was a close friend of Ahn, was suspected of being an accomplice and arrested as well. Kim was jailed and severely tortured, but no evidence linking him to the assassination attempt was found and he was released from prison after 3 years.
The Japanese tortured Kim and other suspects. Because of the damage to cartilage
due to beating by Japanese in the prison, his left ear was disfigured for life like his calves that were permanently scarred when he was first arrested and tortured for the killing of Tsuchida. At the time, Han Pil Ho (한필호; 韓弼昊), a member of Shin Min Hoi was killed, Shin Suk Choong (신석충; 申錫忠) killed himself, and An Myung Geun tried to commit suicide during the severe interrogation but failed. Kim Gu also tried to kill himself with a self-inflicted injury in his head, but failed.
In prison, Kim changed his name from Kim Changsoo (김창수) to Kim Gu (김구) and adopted the pen name of Baekbeom (백범, 白凡). Kim stated in his biography that the change of his name symbolized breaking free from Japanese nationality records and that he chose the pen name Baekbeom, which means "ordinary person", hoping every ordinary Korean person would fight for the independence of Korea.
, China
in 1919 after a nationwide non-violent resistance movement, known as the March 1st Movement
(3.1 운동), which was violently suppressed by the Japanese imperialist government. In Shanghai, Kim joined the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
(대한민국 임시정부; 大韓民國 臨時政府), which vowed to liberate Korea from Japanese occupation.
After serving as the Police Minister, Kim became the president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in 1927. He was re-elected to the office many times by the Provisional Assembly.
In 1931 he organized a nationalist group, the Korean Patriotic Corps (한인애국단; 韓人愛國團). One of the members, Yoon Bong-Gil
(윤봉길; 尹奉吉), ambushed and eliminated the Japanese military leadership in Shanghai on April 29, 1932. The commander of the Japanese Army and Navy died instantly. Another member, Lee Bong-chang
(이봉창; 李奉昌), tried to eliminate the Japanese emperor Hirohito
in Tokyo on January 8 of the same year but failed.
After escaping to Chongqing
where Chiang Kai-shek
's Nationalist Government was established, Kim established the Korean Liberation Army
(광복군; 光復軍), commanded by General Ji Cheong-cheon
(지청천; 池靑天). When the Pacific War
broke out on December 8, 1941, Kim Gu declared war on Japan and Germany and committed the Korean Liberation Army to the Allied side; the Korean Liberation Army took part in warfare in China and Southeast Asia. Kim arranged for the Korean Liberation Army to advance to Korea in 1945 but, days before the departure of the leading unit, the war ended.
in 1945.
As the division of the newly-independent country became obvious, he led a team of former independence activists to Pyongyang
to hold unification talks with Kim Il-sung
(김일성; 金日成) (who later became the president of North Korea), but failed drastically after being humiliated by Kim Il-Sung.
In 1948, the inaugural National Assembly of South Korea
nominated Kim as a candidate for the office of the first president of the Republic. In the election by the National Assembly, Kim was defeated by Lee Seung Man (이승만; 李承晩 - also known as Syngman Rhee
), the first president of the provisional government, who had been impeached in 1925 by a vote of 180-16. He also lost the election for the vice presidency to Lee Si-yeong (이시영; 李始榮) by a vote of 133-59. Kim himself did not know about his nomination until after the election, and he did not approve the nomination, considering it a ploy to discredit him. Also, Kim would never have participated in the election as he fiercely opposed the establishment of separate governments in North and South Korea.
(안두희; 安斗熙) in his office. Although some suggest there may have been a right-wing conspiracy to assassinate him in which even president Rhee and the CIA could have been involved, no details of the assassination have been revealed. Moreover, Ahn Doo-hee was murdered by a follower of Kim's in 1996 after he allegedly confessed that Kim Chang-ryong
(김창룡; 金昌龍) masterminded the assassination, thus further obscuring the prospect of finding the motive of assassination. Another possible motive for the assassination could have been Kim's connection to the assassination of Song Chin-u (송진우), a leader of the Korean Democratic Party (KDP) who had chosen to work closely with the American military government.
Kim was posthumously awarded the Republic of Korea Medal of Order of Merit for National Foundation
(건국훈장 대한민국장; 建國勳章 大韓民國章), the most prestigious civil decoration in the Republic of Korea. His autobiography, Baekbeomilji (Journal of Baekbeom, 백범일지) is an important source for study of history of Korean independence movement
and has been designated as cultural treasure No. 1245 by the Korean government. A steady seller in Korea, the autobiography was first published in 1947 and republished in more than 10 versions in Korea and abroad.
Kim has been constantly regarded as one of the greatest figures in Korean history. For example, he was voted in a 2004 online poll as the greatest leader after the restoration of Korean independence and in 2005 as the most revered figure by Korean National Assemblymen. In 2007 national surveys, Kim received the most vote as the Korean historic figure whose portrait should be featured in new Korean banknotes that will be issued in 2009. On November 5, 2007, the Bank of Korea
, the national central bank of the Republic of Korea, announced the new 100,000 Korean won bill would feature Kim's portrait. However, the issuing of the new bill was delayed indefinitely as of 2009 for an unknown reason.
, the Chief of Korean Air Force, a National Assemblyperson, and the Minister of Transportation, and is currently the Director of Kim Koo Museum and Library.
Kim Gu's grandson, Kim Yang (김양; 金揚 1953-), was appointed as the Korean Consulate General in Shanghai, China in 2005 and as the Minister of Patriots and Veteran Affairs of Korea (국가보훈처; 國家報勳處) in 2008.
In 2010, Kim Gu's great-grandson, Kim Yong Man (김용만 1987-) was appointed second lieutenant
of Korean Air Force, and in 2011, Kim's great-grandson on her daughter's side, Kim Dong Man (김동만 1987-) was also appointed second lieutenant of Korean Air Force.
Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was the partially recognised government in exile of Korea, based in Shanghai, China, and later in Chongqing, during the Colonial Korea.-History:...
, was a Korean politician, educator, leader of Korean independence movement
Korean independence movement
The Korean independence movement grew out of the Japanese colonial rule of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. After the Japanese surrendered, Korea became independent; that day is now an annual holiday called Gwangbokjeol in South Korea, and Chogukhaebangŭi nal in North Korea.-Background:In...
against the Japanese occupation of Korea
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
that lasted from 1910 to 1945, and reunification activist who had struggled for the independent reunification of Korea
Korean reunification
Korean reunification refers to the hypothetical future reunification of North Korea and South Korea under a single government...
since its national division
Division of Korea
The division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending Japan's 35-year colonial rule of Korea. In a proposal opposed by nearly all Koreans, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to temporarily occupy the country as a trusteeship...
in 1945.
Early life
Kim Gu was born on August 29 (Lunar CalendarLunar calendar
A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on cycles of the lunar phase. A common purely lunar calendar is the Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar. A feature of the Islamic calendar is that a year is always 12 months, so the months are not linked with the seasons and drift each solar year by 11 to...
July 11), 1876 in Teot-gol (텃골), Baek-un-bang (백운방), Haeju
Haeju
Haeju is a city located in South Hwanghae Province near Haeju Bay in North Korea. It is the administrative centre of South Hwanghae Province. As of 2000, the population of the city is estimated to be 236,000. At the beginning of 20th century, it became a strategic port in Sino-Korean trade...
(해주; 海州), South Hwanghae Province, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, the only son of a poor farmer Kim Soon Young (김순영) and his wife Kwak Nack Won (곽낙원). His name at birth was Kim Changahm . When he was nine years old, he started to study Chinese classic texts
Chinese classic texts
Chinese classic texts, or Chinese canonical texts, today often refer to the pre-Qin Chinese texts, especially the Neo-Confucian titles of Four Books and Five Classics , a selection of short books and chapters from the voluminous collection called the Thirteen Classics. All of these pre-Qin texts...
such as Zizhi Tongjian
Zizhi Tongjian
The Zizhi Tongjian was a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084, under the form of a chronicles. In 1065 CE, Emperor Yingzong of Song ordered the great historian Sima Guang to lead with other scholars such as his chief assistants Liu Shu, Liu Ban and Fan Zuyu, the...
(자치통감; 資治通鑒), and Great Learning
Great Learning
The Great Learning was one of the "Four Books" in Confucianism. The Great Learning had come from a chapter in the Classic of Rites which formed one of the Five Classics. It consists of a short main text attributed to the teachings of Confucius and then ten commentary chapters accredited to one...
(대학; 大學) at local seodang
Seodang
Seodang were private village schools providing elementary education during the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties of Korea.-Background:They were primarily occupied with providing initial training in the Chinese classics to boys of 7-16 years of age, but often served students into their twenties. Not...
s.
At the age of 16, Kim applied for the Gwageo
Gwageo
The gwageo were the national civil service examinations under the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties of Korea. Typically quite demanding, these tests measured candidates' knowledge of the Chinese classics, and sometimes also of technical subjects...
(Imperial Examination) of Joseon
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
but failed. After that, he joined the Donghak
Donghak
Donghak is a Korean religion founded in 1860 by Choe Je-u. Donghak venerated the god Haneullim and believed that man is not created by a supernatural god but man is instead caused by an innate god...
movement in 1893 and changed his name to Kim Changsoo . As the organization grew rapidly, he was appointed the district leader of Palbong (팔봉) at the age of 17 and led hundreds of subordinates. Kim commanded a Donghak army regiment in the 1894 Donghak Peasant Revolution
Donghak Peasant Revolution
The Donghak Peasant Revolution, also known as the Donghak Peasant Movement, was an anti-government, anti-feudal and anti-foreign uprising in 1894 in the southern Korea which was the catalyst for the First Sino-Japanese War....
. Following the instruction of Donghak leader Choi Si Hyung (최시형), Kim Gu's troops stormed the Haeju fort in Hwanghae-do, but the army was eventually defeated by governmental forces. After that, Kim Gu was defeated by his companion, Lee Dong-yeop (이동엽) in the turf war of Donghak’s organization. Thereafter, General An Tae-hun (안태훈; the father of the An Jung-geun
An Jung-geun
An Jung-geun or Ahn Jung-geun was a Korean independence activist, nationalist, and pan-Asianist....
who later killed Ito Hirobumi
Ito Hirobumi
Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...
) of the royal army gave Kim Gu's Donghak rebels a safe pass, but other government troops ignored An's safe pass and attacked them. At 20, with Kim I-eon whom he had met around Yalu River
Yalu River
The Yalu River or the Amnok River is a river on the border between North Korea and the People's Republic of China....
, he attacked the royal army of the Gang-gye fort, supported by the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
's army. However, the attack failed and Kim Gu went into hiding.
Assassination of Josuke Tsuchida
On October 8, 1895, Empress MyeongseongEmpress Myeongseong
Empress Myeongseong , also known as Queen Min, was the first official wife of King Gojong, the twenty-sixth king of the Joseon dynasty of Korea...
(명성황후), the wife of Emperor Gojong (고종) of the Korean Empire was assassinated by a group of Japanese assassins (the Eulmi Incident; 을미사변; 乙未事變). Miura Goro, then Japan's Resident Minister in Korea, was suspected as the mastermind of the assassination. In February 1896, Kim stayed at an inn in Chihapo, Hwanghae
Hwanghae
Hwanghae was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Hwanghae was located in the northwest of Korea. The provincial capital was Haeju.The regional name for the province was Haesŏ .-History:...
Province while traveling to southern regions. There he found a Japanese man named Tsuchida Josuke (土田譲亮), who was disguised as a Korean and concealing a Japanese sword, and killed him believing that he was involved in the assassination of the queen. In his biography 'Baekbeom Ilji' (白凡逸志), Kim describes his motivation at the time as follows:
The following morning, Kim attacked Tsuchida, took his sword, and killed him with it. The "Report from acting administrator Hagihara Moriichi of Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
Consulate on the current situation of Incheon" describes Tsuchida as a "commoner from Nagasaki Prefecture
Nagasaki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. The capital is the city of Nagasaki.- History :Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging of the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island provinces of Tsushima and Iki...
" and an "employee of a Nagasaki trader on a business trip". However, this does not prove that Tsuchida was not involved in the assassination of the Empress Myeongseong, as this assassination was carried out not only by Japanese soldiers but also by many Japanese Ronin
Ronin
A or rounin was a Bushi with no lord or master during the feudal period of Japan. A samurai became masterless from the death or fall of his master, or after the loss of his master's favor or privilege....
s, as described in the report by Ezo Ishizuka (石塚英藏), the Japanese adviser to the Korean Empire at the time. In addition, Kim stated in 'Baekbeom Ilji' that Tsuchida was concealing a sword and had identification papers that showed him to be a Japanese army lieutenant. Official Japanese interrogation police records from the time also verify the fact that Tsuchida was carrying a sword around.
After the killing, Kim left a hand-written document which said "Kim Changsoo from Haeju, Hwanghae Province, killed this Japanese man to revenge the murder of Korean Queen", as documented in Baekbeom Ilji. He waited at his home at Haeju for three months before the police came and arrested him.
Imprisonment, jailbreak, and educational activities
Kim was tortured and sentenced to death. According to Baekbeom Ilji, however, many Korean people were sympathetic and admired him for his patriotism and bravery, as shown by the facts that his execution was suspended by order of Emperor Gwangmu, that Korean judicial officials behaved politely to him despite Japanese pressure to execute him promptly, and that influential Koreans at the time (including major merchants of Inchoen) made efforts to rescue him by repeated petitions to Korean Justice Department Officials and by collecting money for his ransom before his scheduled execution date.In prison, Kim had a chance to read newly published textbooks about western culture and science such as Taesoe Shinsa (태서신사; 泰西新史) and Saegye Jiji (세계지지; 世界地誌). He was deeply impressed by the strengths of new western science and recognized the importance of education for the Korean people. He started to teach about 100 illiterate prisoners in the prison. The Korean newspaper Hwhangsung Shinbo (황성신보; 皇城新報) reported at the time that Kim Chang Soo changed the Inchoen Prison into a school by teaching prisoners.
In 1898 he broke out of prison and escaped into Magoksa (마곡사; 麻谷寺), a Buddhist temple in Gongju
Gongju
Gongju , also spelt Kongju, is a city in South Chungcheong province, South Korea. It is located at .- History :Gongju was formerly named Ungjin and was the capital of Baekje from AD 475 to 538. In this period, Baekje was under threat from Goguryeo...
(공주; 公州), Chungcheong
Chungcheong
Chungcheong was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Chungcheong was located in the southwest of Korea...
province, and entered the Buddhist priesthood. Kim left the priesthood and returned to Hwanghae a year later, where he devoted himself to the enlightenment and education of the Korean people, founding (장연학교; 長淵學校) and the Yangsan School (양산학교; 楊山學校) in 1907, becoming the principal of the Yangsan School. In 1904, he married Choi Jun Rye (최준례) from Sincheon (신천), Hwanghae Province.
Joins Korean Independence Movement
In 1905, the Eulsa TreatyEulsa Treaty
The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905, also known as the Eulsa Treaty or Japan–Korea Protectorate Treaty, was made between the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire in 1905. Negotiations were concluded on November 17, 1905....
(을사조약; 乙巳條約) was made between Japan and Korea, making Korea a protectorate of Japan. Kim participated in a mass protest against the treaty in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
and presented a memorial to Emperor Gwangmu urging him to withdraw from the treaty. In 1908, Kim joined Shin Min Hoi (신민회, 新民會, New People's Association
New People's Association
The New People's Association, established on April 1941 is a clandestine organization for fostering the independence and national strength of the Korean Empire...
), a national-level underground organization established by Ahn Chang Ho (안창호) for nonviolent Korean independence movement.
In 1910, the Japanese colonial government arrested An Myung Geun (안명근; 安明根), a cousin of the An Jung-Geun
An Jung-geun
An Jung-geun or Ahn Jung-geun was a Korean independence activist, nationalist, and pan-Asianist....
(안중근; 安重根) who killed Ito Hirobumi
Ito Hirobumi
Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...
, for plotting to assassinate Governor-General Terauchi Masatake
Terauchi Masatake
, GCB was a Japanese military officer and politician. He was a Field Marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and the 18th Prime Minister of Japan from 9 October 1916 to 29 September 1918.-Early period:...
. Kim, who was a close friend of Ahn, was suspected of being an accomplice and arrested as well. Kim was jailed and severely tortured, but no evidence linking him to the assassination attempt was found and he was released from prison after 3 years.
The Japanese tortured Kim and other suspects. Because of the damage to cartilage
Cartilage
Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs...
due to beating by Japanese in the prison, his left ear was disfigured for life like his calves that were permanently scarred when he was first arrested and tortured for the killing of Tsuchida. At the time, Han Pil Ho (한필호; 韓弼昊), a member of Shin Min Hoi was killed, Shin Suk Choong (신석충; 申錫忠) killed himself, and An Myung Geun tried to commit suicide during the severe interrogation but failed. Kim Gu also tried to kill himself with a self-inflicted injury in his head, but failed.
In prison, Kim changed his name from Kim Changsoo (김창수) to Kim Gu (김구) and adopted the pen name of Baekbeom (백범, 白凡). Kim stated in his biography that the change of his name symbolized breaking free from Japanese nationality records and that he chose the pen name Baekbeom, which means "ordinary person", hoping every ordinary Korean person would fight for the independence of Korea.
Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
Kim exiled himself to ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in 1919 after a nationwide non-violent resistance movement, known as the March 1st Movement
March 1st Movement
The March 1st Movement, or Samil Movement, was one of the earliest public displays of Korean resistance during the occupation of the Korean Empire by Japan. The name refers to an event that occurred on March 1, 1919, hence the movement's name, literally meaning "Three-One Movement" or "March First...
(3.1 운동), which was violently suppressed by the Japanese imperialist government. In Shanghai, Kim joined the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was the partially recognised government in exile of Korea, based in Shanghai, China, and later in Chongqing, during the Colonial Korea.-History:...
(대한민국 임시정부; 大韓民國 臨時政府), which vowed to liberate Korea from Japanese occupation.
After serving as the Police Minister, Kim became the president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in 1927. He was re-elected to the office many times by the Provisional Assembly.
In 1931 he organized a nationalist group, the Korean Patriotic Corps (한인애국단; 韓人愛國團). One of the members, Yoon Bong-Gil
Yoon Bong-Gil
Yoon Bong-Gil was a Korean independence activist and assassin who worked against Japan during Japan's rule over Korea .-Shanghai bombing:...
(윤봉길; 尹奉吉), ambushed and eliminated the Japanese military leadership in Shanghai on April 29, 1932. The commander of the Japanese Army and Navy died instantly. Another member, Lee Bong-chang
Lee Bong-chang
Lee Bong-chang was a Korean independence activist during the Japanese occupation of Korea. In 1932, he attempted unsuccessfully to assassinate Japanese emperor Hirohito with a hand grenade, which became known as the Sakuradamon Incident.- Biography :Born in Hanseongbu to Lee Jin-gyu , Lee...
(이봉창; 李奉昌), tried to eliminate the Japanese emperor Hirohito
Hirohito
, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to...
in Tokyo on January 8 of the same year but failed.
After escaping to Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
where Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
's Nationalist Government was established, Kim established the Korean Liberation Army
Korean Liberation Army
The Korean Liberation Army, established on September 17, 1941 in Chongqing, China, was the armed force of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea...
(광복군; 光復軍), commanded by General Ji Cheong-cheon
Ji Cheong-cheon
Ji Cheong-Cheon , also known as Yi Cheong-Cheon was a Korean independence activist during the period of Japanese rule . He later became a South Korean politician...
(지청천; 池靑天). When the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
broke out on December 8, 1941, Kim Gu declared war on Japan and Germany and committed the Korean Liberation Army to the Allied side; the Korean Liberation Army took part in warfare in China and Southeast Asia. Kim arranged for the Korean Liberation Army to advance to Korea in 1945 but, days before the departure of the leading unit, the war ended.
After Korean Liberation
He returned to Seoul upon the Japanese surrender to the AlliesSurrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
in 1945.
As the division of the newly-independent country became obvious, he led a team of former independence activists to Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
to hold unification talks with Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung was a Korean communist politician who led the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to his death...
(김일성; 金日成) (who later became the president of North Korea), but failed drastically after being humiliated by Kim Il-Sung.
In 1948, the inaugural National Assembly of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
nominated Kim as a candidate for the office of the first president of the Republic. In the election by the National Assembly, Kim was defeated by Lee Seung Man (이승만; 李承晩 - also known as Syngman Rhee
Syngman Rhee
Syngman Rhee or Yi Seungman was the first president of South Korea. His presidency, from August 1948 to April 1960, remains controversial, affected by Cold War tensions on the Korean peninsula and elsewhere. Rhee was regarded as an anti-Communist and a strongman, and he led South Korea through the...
), the first president of the provisional government, who had been impeached in 1925 by a vote of 180-16. He also lost the election for the vice presidency to Lee Si-yeong (이시영; 李始榮) by a vote of 133-59. Kim himself did not know about his nomination until after the election, and he did not approve the nomination, considering it a ploy to discredit him. Also, Kim would never have participated in the election as he fiercely opposed the establishment of separate governments in North and South Korea.
Death and legacy
In June 26 1949, Kim was assassinated by Ahn Doo-heeAhn Doo-hee
Ahn Doo-hee carried out the assassination of nationalist Korean leader Kim Gu on June 26, 1949. Officially, it is maintained that Ahn Doo-hee acted alone, although some have theorized that Ahn was part of a broader conspiracy. The existence of a conspiracy, however, is not directly supported by...
(안두희; 安斗熙) in his office. Although some suggest there may have been a right-wing conspiracy to assassinate him in which even president Rhee and the CIA could have been involved, no details of the assassination have been revealed. Moreover, Ahn Doo-hee was murdered by a follower of Kim's in 1996 after he allegedly confessed that Kim Chang-ryong
Kim Chang-ryong
Kim Chang-Ryong , was a high-ranking officer in the Republic of Korea Army, head of the Korean Counter-intelligence Corps, and Korean President Syngman Rhee's most trusted right hand man...
(김창룡; 金昌龍) masterminded the assassination, thus further obscuring the prospect of finding the motive of assassination. Another possible motive for the assassination could have been Kim's connection to the assassination of Song Chin-u (송진우), a leader of the Korean Democratic Party (KDP) who had chosen to work closely with the American military government.
Kim was posthumously awarded the Republic of Korea Medal of Order of Merit for National Foundation
Order of Merit for National Foundation
The Order of Merit for National Foundation is an Order of South Korea. It is typically reserved for those who contributed to the founding of the modern Republic of Korea.It is awarded in five grades:...
(건국훈장 대한민국장; 建國勳章 大韓民國章), the most prestigious civil decoration in the Republic of Korea. His autobiography, Baekbeomilji (Journal of Baekbeom, 백범일지) is an important source for study of history of Korean independence movement
Korean independence movement
The Korean independence movement grew out of the Japanese colonial rule of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. After the Japanese surrendered, Korea became independent; that day is now an annual holiday called Gwangbokjeol in South Korea, and Chogukhaebangŭi nal in North Korea.-Background:In...
and has been designated as cultural treasure No. 1245 by the Korean government. A steady seller in Korea, the autobiography was first published in 1947 and republished in more than 10 versions in Korea and abroad.
Kim has been constantly regarded as one of the greatest figures in Korean history. For example, he was voted in a 2004 online poll as the greatest leader after the restoration of Korean independence and in 2005 as the most revered figure by Korean National Assemblymen. In 2007 national surveys, Kim received the most vote as the Korean historic figure whose portrait should be featured in new Korean banknotes that will be issued in 2009. On November 5, 2007, the Bank of Korea
Bank of Korea
The Bank of Korea is the central bank of South Korea and issuer of South Korean won. It was established on June 12, 1950 at Seoul, South Korea.The Bank's primary purpose is price stability. For that, the Bank targets inflation...
, the national central bank of the Republic of Korea, announced the new 100,000 Korean won bill would feature Kim's portrait. However, the issuing of the new bill was delayed indefinitely as of 2009 for an unknown reason.
Family
Kim's second son, Kim Shin (김신; 金信; 1922-), was a founding member of Republic of Korea Air ForceRepublic of Korea Air Force
The Republic of Korea Air Force is the air force of South Korea...
, the Chief of Korean Air Force, a National Assemblyperson, and the Minister of Transportation, and is currently the Director of Kim Koo Museum and Library.
Kim Gu's grandson, Kim Yang (김양; 金揚 1953-), was appointed as the Korean Consulate General in Shanghai, China in 2005 and as the Minister of Patriots and Veteran Affairs of Korea (국가보훈처; 國家報勳處) in 2008.
In 2010, Kim Gu's great-grandson, Kim Yong Man (김용만 1987-) was appointed second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
of Korean Air Force, and in 2011, Kim's great-grandson on her daughter's side, Kim Dong Man (김동만 1987-) was also appointed second lieutenant of Korean Air Force.
'My desire'
At the end of his autobiography Baekbeomilji, Kim expressed his desire with which he carried all his life time:- If god asked me what was my wish, I would reply unhesitatingly, "Korean independence."
- If he asked me what was my second wish, I would again answer, "My country's independence."
- If he asked me what was my third wish, I would reply in an even louder voice, "My wish is the complete independence of my country Korea."
- My fellow brethren. This is my only wish. I have lived seventy years of my life for this wish, am living my life for this wish, and will live my life only to fulfill this wish.
- ...Recently, some of our brothers have said that they wanted our nation to be a part of a federation of another country. I don't believe this, and if there is really someone who does, I can only say that he is crazy and has lost his mind.
- I've studied the ideas of Confucius, Buddha, and Jesus; I respect them as saints, but even if there's a heaven made by them, it's not a nation created by our nation, and I will never take our nation there.
- It is because, a nation which shared blood and history is clear, and just like my body can't be another's, the reason that a certain nation can't become another is the same as brothers living in the same house. If two gather and become one, one would be higher and the other lower, so it becomes a basic problem that one orders from above, and the other obeys from below.
- And so-called leftists deny the motherland of blood, and say this and that about the so-called motherland of ideology, ignoring brothers of blood-ties, and claims the so-called comrade of ideology and international class of proletariat, and speak as if nationalism is outside the truth.
- This is foolish thinking. Philosophies change and theories of politics and economics are only a snap, but a nation's success is everlasting.
- ...I want our nation to become the most beautiful nation in the world. I do not want our nation to become the richest and the most powerful nation in the world. Because I have felt the pain of being invaded by another nation, I do not want my nation to invade others. It is sufficient that our wealth is such that it makes our lives abundant and our military strength such that it is able to repel others' invasions. The only thing that I desire in infinite quantity is the power of a highly-developed culture. This is because the power of culture both makes ourselves happy and gives happiness to others.
Writings
- 《Baekbeom Ilji》(백범일지; 白凡逸志)
- 《Dowae silgi》(도왜실기; 屠倭實記)
- 《Baikbeom u-rok》(백범어록; 白凡語錄)
See also
- Provisional Government of Republic of Korea
- Korean independence movementKorean independence movementThe Korean independence movement grew out of the Japanese colonial rule of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. After the Japanese surrendered, Korea became independent; that day is now an annual holiday called Gwangbokjeol in South Korea, and Chogukhaebangŭi nal in North Korea.-Background:In...
- List of Korea-related topics
- Syngman RheeSyngman RheeSyngman Rhee or Yi Seungman was the first president of South Korea. His presidency, from August 1948 to April 1960, remains controversial, affected by Cold War tensions on the Korean peninsula and elsewhere. Rhee was regarded as an anti-Communist and a strongman, and he led South Korea through the...
- Kim Kyu-sikKim Kyu-sikKim Kyu-Sik, also spelled Kimm Giusic and Kimm Kiusic, was a Korean politician and academic during the Korean independence movement and a leader of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea...
- Yoon Bong-GilYoon Bong-GilYoon Bong-Gil was a Korean independence activist and assassin who worked against Japan during Japan's rule over Korea .-Shanghai bombing:...
- Lee Bong-ChangLee Bong-changLee Bong-chang was a Korean independence activist during the Japanese occupation of Korea. In 1932, he attempted unsuccessfully to assassinate Japanese emperor Hirohito with a hand grenade, which became known as the Sakuradamon Incident.- Biography :Born in Hanseongbu to Lee Jin-gyu , Lee...
- Kim Wonbong