뉴스레터

As we celebrate the 95th anniversary of the March 1st Movement, we are reminded of a number of milestones in history. First of all, it is exactly 120 years ago that the Donghak Peasant Movement (a.k.a. the 1894 Peasant War) and the Sino-Japanese War occurred. This year also marks the 110th year and the 100th year since the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, a decisive force that would shape the destiny of the Korean Peninsula, and of the First World War, respectively.

The East Asia of 2014, with ongoing historical conflicts between Korea (China) and Japan and territorial disputes between China and Japan, is reminiscent of the international relations of 120 years ago. Will history come to a full circle of 120 years and repeat itself? Of course not. But that doesn't mean that nt of those 120 years ago. Will the history of 120 years ago repeat itself? Of course not. Nevertheless, if we are to ensure that it will not happen, we still need to examine where we stand in the course of world history as well as the history of East Asia, and renew our commitment to preparing for the next 100 years.

The Reality Facing Us and What We Should Do About It

The 26th day of March 26 this year marks the 104th anniversary of the death of Ahn Jung-geun, who gave his life for his country. And a memorial hall in his honor has been built and opened at the initiative of the Chinese authorities, as it was in the news. The rapidly changing world situation as we witness it calls for a look back on Ahn Jung-geun's patriotic action in Harbin and his struggle throughout his trial. In the past we haven't paid much attention to the illegal nature of imperialist Japan. But today, I would like to call attention back to the significance and spirit of the Theory of Oriental Peace advocated by Ahn Jung-geun.

Since its opening on January 19, 2014, the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall has attracted many visitors from Japan as well as China and Korea. But Japan took issue over this memorial hall, calling Ahn Jung-geun "a terrorist sentenced to death" in its Chief Cabinet Secretary's protest against the Korean and Chinese governments. The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also said, "It is our understanding that Ahn Jung-geun is a figure sentenced to death for killing Ito Hirobumi, who was Prime Minister of Japan and Resident-General of Korea," in a letter submitted in his name by the Cabinet to the Low House of Japan on February 4, 2014. And the Japanese Cabinet expressed its regret for the opening of the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall.

This is the Japanese government's official opinion on Ahn Jung-geun, and it has revealed that there are serious flaws in their perception of not only Mr. Ahn but the history of modern Korea-Japan relations in general. It is confirmed by the Chinese diplomatic authorities, which responded by unanimously recognizing Ahn Jung-geun as "a renowned activist against Japan."

The Japanese Government's Illegal Intervention with Ahn Jung-geun's Trial

The process of trial of Ahn Jung-geun, from December 26, 1909, immediately after his assassination of Ito Hirobumi, one of the culprits responsible for the Japanese invasion of Korea, to his death on March 26 the following year, shows an example of unfair treatment to the weaker people. While Ahn asserted that what he had done was not an act of retaliation out of his personal grudge but an act of 'independence war' of a country, the Japanese government tried him illegally and sentenced him to death unreasonably, and executed him. Worse, they buried his body in a cemetery in secret without handing it over to his family.

The process of trial of Ahn Jung-geun, not to mention the Kwantung court's decision on February 14, 1910 to sentence him to death, is illegal and invalid. The Japanese authorities should realize this and repent for their latest frivolities. They should also fully cooperate with the efforts to locate the still unknown place of Ahn's burial and recover his remains.

The trial of Ahn was on the whole illegal, and behind it was the Japanese government with their own political agenda, and the cooperation of Russia, which refused to take security responsibility for the death of Ito Hirobumi, even though it occurred in Harbin under its jurisdiction, and extradited Ahn to Japan to protect its diplomatic relations with Japan. Having deprived the Korean Empire of its diplomatic rights and judicial power, the Japanese government took on the trial of Ahn unilaterally. Fearing that Ahn's act might get in the way of negotiation with the powers about its secret plan to 'annex Korea,' Japan sentenced him to death through a far-fetched application of the Japanese law to the Korean. In the process, the Japanese authorities of foreign affairs violated the law of their own making which prescribed the independence of judicial power, by ordering the president of the Kwantung court to give him 'capital punishment' even before the court made a decision.

A piece of literature widely known to the Japanese people, Chushingura (忠臣藏) is a glorified tale of revenge that 47 samurais took on those who harmed their lord. The Japanese people praise the loyalty of the protagonists of this tale of revenge and murder, calling them 'righteous victims (赤穗義士).' In other words, the Japanese people recognize revenge or murder if they think it has a good cause. They even hold a big annual festival in Tokyo in honor of the protagonists of Chushingura. Then how should they perceive Ahn Jung-geun and his action?

Time to Seek Genuine Oriental Peace

In China, however, Ahn's action was praised, not only by Sun Yat-sen (孫文), the Father of the Nation, but also by Liang Qichao (梁啓超), a renowned politician, thinker, and intellectual. In particular, Liang Qichao wrote a poem titled 'Song of Punishing Ito in an Autumn Wind (秋風斷藤曲)' to express his admiration for Ahn: "He did it, making blood suppter in five steps. The sound of laughter is shaking the ground. Well done! May he live forever!" And it is a well-known episode that during the May Fourth Movement of China Zhou Enlai (周恩來) directed a play about Ahn Jung-geun where Deng Yingchao (鄧潁超) played Ahn. Even before he died by hanging on March 26, 1910, Ahn Jung-geun said, "Since I killed Ito Hirobumi for Oriental peace, I hope that the peoples of Japan and Korea will make concerted efforts toward maintaining it."

Today, Korea and China are increasingly at odds with Japan over historical perception and some islands. Ultimately, this conflict needs to be overcome by the three Oriental nations of Korea, China, and Japan, before the genuine 'Oriental Peace' proposed by Ahn Jung-geun could be established. Although the reality facing us is tough, I think it is time to consider, cooperate, communicate with one another with an open heart as we seek 'ways of harmonious coexistence.' Let us remind ourselves once again the ideal of the Theory of Oriental Peace advocated by Ahn and what it signifies, as we grapple with the challenges facing us today. After all, what lies at the core of the Theory of Oriental Peace is the notion that the three Northeast Asian countries should cooperate with one another with an open heart toward realizing the ideal of a community for peace in the East (East Asia) while remaining in equally independent coexistence.