뉴스레터

Frank Schofield is called a national patriot along with the other 33 national leaders of the March 1^st Movement. This is an expression that testifies to the importance of Schofield's role in the March 1^st Movement. He played a particularly important role in informing the world about the terrible situation that our people faced after Japan's occupation of Korea, and the nationwide independence movement in which Koreans were participating. Even Yun Chi-ho, who had been skeptical about the March 1st Movement, described Schofield in his diary:

Scottish scholar Dr. Schofield is furious with Japan's harsh doctrine of driving Koreans out of Korea to make way for Japanese immigrants, along with other recent atrocities. Dr. Schofield is vigorously collecting correct data to use in the book that he is writing. He accuses the Japanese of misbehaving, without reservation, in the presence of senior officials. Therefore, Dr. Schofield is somewhat out of focus from his duties as a missionary. However, as a friend and ally of the Koreans, he deserves all of the praise and appreciation. 

『Yun Chi-ho’s Diary Translated from Korean』, October 20, 1919

Schofield devoted himself to the independence of our people by actively condemning Japan’s domination of Korea and endeavored to use “correct data” to inform the world about such unfair domination. He believed that photography was the most appropriate medium for revealing the fact that Japan's domination of Korea threatened the survival of the nation, contrary to the propaganda being spread by Japan, and that the March 1^st Movement was merely a struggle for independence and thus, survival. His efforts were not made in vain. Although Japan tried to disguise the "incident in which Japanese soldiers brutally massacred innocent civilians in Jeam-ri," as the "incident in which Japanese soldiers suppressed the riot that resulted in Japanese police dying," Schofield informed the world of the truth using photographs.

As news of Japan's suppression of the March 1^st Movement and the "Jeam-ri Massacre" became more widely known, the Western press called Korea the "Belgium of Oriental Lands." This comparison was made in reference to the massacre of Belgian civilians by Germany during World War I. This incident is considered to be one of the factors that prompted the Allies to unite and fight Germany.

However, it was not easy to label Japan's actions as tantamount to the atrocities committed by German troops in Belgium during World War I. Japan played a major role in World War I as a member of the Allies, along with the United Kingdom, France, the United States and Italy. This fact made Japan very different from Germany. Nonetheless, the Western press could compare Japan’s actions to the massacre in Belgium because there was “accurate evidence” that could prove Japan’s atrocities.

Schofield believed that in order to win international sympathy for the March 1^st Movement, there must be "facts" supported by "grounds." Japan's brutality in Jeam-ri was an incident that clearly revealed the hidden agenda of Japan's "civilization" propaganda. Japan's "civilization" could justify anything for its own purpose and Japan's laws and regulations were no different, as was demonstrated during the trial of first lieutenant Arita, the man who had caused the Jeam-ri massacre. The alleged "accurate evidence" presented by Schofield through photographs and other channels uncovered the ugly truth behind Japan's domination in a very direct way.

Schofield attempted to demonstrate and prove Japan's atrocities within the institutional system. He willingly rushed to the scene in order to capture photographic evidence. Though public transportation has improved, allowing for a quick and easy trip from Seoul to Suwon, this was not the case in the past. Upon learning of an incident in Suwon, Schofield rushed out of Seoul to Suwon by train, camera in hand, to check out the scene. At that time, there were very few paved roads, even in Seoul. Moreover, Schofield was in great need of convalescence, as he had been receiving treatment for cholera for months. And to add to his hardships, he had discomfort in one leg, as he had suffered from polio as a child. Despite all of these difficulties, Schofield hustled to the scene. The reason that Schofield himself had to go to the scene was because Koreans were forbidden from criticizing Japan on Korean soil at that time. Although he was not completely free, he tried to use his status as a foreigner to collect and analyze evidence, within Japan's institutional framework. Schofield was granted permission from Japan to take pictures of the Jeam-ri massacre. Japan allowed this because no matter how decisive the evidence, Japan could deny the evidential value of the photos for procedural credibility without the proper procedures. Thus, for this reason, Schofield endeavored to secure such procedural credibility. It was due to these reasons that Schofield was able to openly criticize Japan's oppression, even during his meetings with the Japanese Prime Minister at that time.

Schofield did his best to execute his role as a professional. Particularly, during World War I in 1918 when the "Spanish flu" started spreading around the world and into Korea, Schofield began to seriously conduct and record his research on the flu. He published his research findings in the Journal of American Medical Association in 1919, under the title "Pandemic Influenza in Korea with Special Reference to Its Etiology." Schofield even went a step further to expose the true image of Japan's rule in Korea, revealing that "Seodaemun Prison," which was used to actively promote and justify Japan's domination of Korea, was completely different from what was revealed to the public. His passion and devotion to Korea and our people were fundamentally based on his love for human beings.

Scottish scholar Dr. Schofield is furious with Japan's harsh doctrine of driving Koreans out of Korea to make way for Japanese immigrants, along with other recent atrocities. Dr. Schofield is vigorously collecting correct data to use in the book that he is writing. He accuses the Japanese of misbehaving, without reservation, in the presence of senior officials. Therefore, Dr. Schofield is somewhat out of focus from his duties as a missionary. However, as a friend and ally of the Koreans, he deserves all of the praise and appreciation.

『Yun Chi-ho’s Diary Translated from Korean』, October 20, 1919

This is the journal entry that Yun Chi-ho wrote on the day that Schofield left Korea. As was written in Yun Chi-ho's evaluation of him, Schofield supported the March 1^st Movement and helped collect evidence for the circulation of such stories, not solely because he loved Korea, but also because of the humanity of the March 1^st Movement and what the Movement stood for.