Newsletter

Throughout last year, on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the Donghak Peasant Revolution and the Sino-Japanese War, all kinds of conferences and symposia were held at home and abroad. In particular, the "Conference on the 120th Anniversary of the Donghak Peasant Revolution and the Sino-Japanese War," co-hosted by the NAHF and the Association for Korean Historical Studies, was designed to advance the empirical study of Japan's aggression and the Korean people's resistance based on the historical records on the Sino-Japanese War newly uncovered since the War's centennial anniversary, building on all the research findings made so far by the academia at home and abroad.

East Asian Countries Share Their Research Findings on the Sino-Japanese War and the Donghak Peasant Revolution

In Part 1 on 'Understanding the Sino-Japanese War in Korea,' there were presentations on: 'Studies in Post-War Taiwan on the Sino-Japanese War and the Cession of Taiwan' by Professor Wu Wen-hsing (吳文星) at National Taiwan Normal University; 'The Donghak Peasant War and the Sino-Japanese War in Korea' by Professor Kang Hyo-sook at Wonkwang University; and 'The Donghak Peasant Troops' Perception of Foreign Powers' by Professor Bae Hang-seob at Sungkyunkwan University. Through these presentations, the speakers criticized Imperial Japan's aggression and reviewed the viewpoints on international relations and historical images of the three countries of Korea, China, and Japan. In particular, Professor We Wen-hsing, introducing the research conducted by the history community of post-war Taiwan on the Republic of Taiwan's movement against the cession of Taiwan, said that Japan had established Taiwan as a base for invading southern China (華南) and the South Seas (南洋). Since Li Hongzhang, the chief negotiator at the time, wasn't committed to protecting China, Professor Wu explained, Li accepted Japan's demand for the cession of Taiwan. The Republic of Taiwan's movement against the cession of Taiwan lasted no longer than five months before it failed and disintegrated because the leaders kept fleeing or failed to cooperate, the volunteer army was outstripped by the Japanese army in their will and power to fight, and timely support from the outside was not secured, but, Professor Wu commented, the movement not only awakened the people of Taiwan's sense of community but also influenced the Government-General authorities to make special policies and systems.

In Parts 2 and 3 on 'The Empirical Study of the Donghak Peasant Revolution and New Material and Research Reporting,' there were presentations on: 'The Facts about the Japanese Army's Operation to Wipe Out the Donghak Peasant Troops' by Professor Katsuo Inoue (井上勝生) at Hokkaido University; 'The 1894 Peasant War Leader's Struggle at Trial and Perception of the Situation' by Professor Wang Hyun-jong at Yonsei University; 'Yanghodosunmuyeong and Gabogunjeongsilgi (甲午軍政實記)' by Professor Shin Young-woo at Chungbuk National University; and on 'Japan Korea Association/Ehime's Research on the 19th Backup Infantry Battalion of the Japanese Army' by Professor Kazuhide Yanase (柳瀨一秀) at Japan Korea Association/Ehime (愛媛). These presentations revealed the peasants' demand for reform and the oppression of the Donghak peasant troops by the Japanese army through the Sino-Japanese War.

In particular, Professor Katsuo Inoue recently revealed, through the documentary evidence of the time, that Japanese scholars had been also worried about the military government's totalitarian act or radical policy during the Sino-Japanese War. For instance, Kagawashinbo, a local newspaper in Kagawa Prefecture, in a series of editorials titled 'Korea's Reform' that ran from the 19th to the 23rd of December 1894, criticized the Japanese government and military for their operation to wipe out the Donghak Peasant Troops. And the details of this operation from 1984 to 1895 were made public in the 'Imperial General Headquarters Notice' and also reported in the newspapers or magazines of the time.

The First Research on Gabogunjeongsilgi with Big Achievements

Finally, at this conference, Professor Shin Young-woo published his paper on 'Yanghodosunmuyeong and Gabogunjeongsilgi' for the first time. In this paper, he explained that Yanghodosunmuyeong was the supreme military command established in September 1894 by the Korean government to suppress the Donghak Peasant Troops and it had been in existence for 95 days. Shin Jeong-hee, the Commander-in-Chief of Yanghodosunmuyeong. and Lee Gyu-tae, who was in the vanguard of Dosunmuyeong, didn't cooperate with the Japanese Minister Kaoru Inoue (井上馨) and the Officers of the 19th Backup Infantry Battalion of the Japanese Army, the counter-resolution forces, as a result of which Yanghodosunmuyeong was abruptly abolished on December 27. Gabogunjeongsilgi, the record of the activities of Dosunmuyeong, was written by the person in charge of winding up the affairs, but even its existence became unknown. The ten volumes of Gabogunjeongsilgi are among the one and only copies of the valuable documents that the Japanese Resident-General of Korea Ito Hirobumi took out of Korea.

This book was confirmed to be among the books of the Joseon Dynasty taken back from the Imperial Household Agency of Japan in 2011. It allowed Professor Shin to prove that Yanghodosunmuyeong had been established in Hanseongbu, the equivalent of today's Seoul City Hall, and the total number of the staff working for Dosunmuyeong, including the Command-in-Chief Shin Jeong-hee, was 526. Yanghodosunmuyeong mobilized the entire Capital Troops (京軍) stationed in Seoul to establish Dosunmuyeong, and ordered the soldiers in such government offices as Tongwiyeong, Jangwiyeong, and Gyeongnicheong to go to battle and suppress the Donghak Peasant Troops. The book indicates, as he revealed for the first time, that the total number of the officers and men who went to battle at the time was 2,501.

The papers presented at this conference showed a certain direction for the existing academia to take in advancing empirical research. The NAHF will strive to create historical lessons and future prospects to ease tension in 21st-century Northeast Asia and forge a desirable good-neighbor relationship in East Asia.