You may be surprised to know that Korean freedom fighters came to the United States. They were two Korean men named Jang In-hwan and Jeon Myeong-un.
Bang, bang, bang! An American named Durham Stevens was shot to death by two Korean patriots at the port of San Francisco on March 23, 1908. He was an advisor to the Japanese Legation in Washington, D.C. He played a major role in the Eulsa Treaty, also known as the Japan-Korea Protectorate Treaty, that deprived Korea of its diplomatic rights. For his contributions, he received many medals from Japan. Although he was also appointed as an advisor to the Korean Foreign Affairs Department, he sided with Japan and blatantly advocated Japan’s colonization of Korea. Upon his arrival to San Francisco, he spoke to the press:
“The Korean people have been greatly benefited by the Japanese protection and they are beginning to look more favorably on it. Japan is doing in Korea and for the Koreans what the United States is doing in the Philippines for the Filipinos.”
“The Korean people are illiterate and backward and are unable to govern themselves.”
“If Korea was not under Japanese protection, it might now be under Russian domination.”
“The present Japanese resident-general is acting in the interests of the Korean people, who are very happy and enjoy a better life in every aspect.”
Stevens’ blatant misrepresentation of Korea and the Korean people enraged Koreans. Two Korean men decided to assassinate him, while neither was aware of the other. Jeon Myeong-un pulled the trigger first but misfired. Then, Jang In-hwan fired shots from a different location and hit Stevens. Stevens died and the two Korean men were jailed. Jeon was acquitted, but Jang was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the second-degree murder.
In court, Jang stated the reasons for his action: “While hundreds of thousands of Koreans are dying at the hands of the Japanese invaders, Stevens has the effrontery to invent the lie that the Koreans are welcoming their Japanese aggressors … To die for having shot a traitor is a glory because I did it for my country.”
He used to say, “I am not very educated so I don’t know what I can do for my country, but when an opportunity arises, I will stand up to fight.”
Korean-American immigrants started a fundraising campaign for their defense. Koreans all over the world donated money. About $8,000 was raised. Their defense team tried to convince the U.S. court and the American people that they were not murderers but were freedom fighters trying to recover independence from Japan. Jang’s lawyer sought for his acquittal by arguing that Stevens’ support for Japanese atrocities drove him temporarily insane. The prosecution, on the other hand, argued that the accused deserve no mercy for killing an innocent American man who worked for Korea. Although Jang was sentenced to 25 years in prison, he was released after 10 years. The two men’s bravery inspired more Koreans to fight for their country.
About a year later, on October 26, 1909, Ahn Jung-geun assassinated Ito Hirobumi, the first Resident-General of Korea. Ito was the man who played a central role in colonizing Korea by taking away Korea’s diplomatic rights and dethroning the Korean king. On January 8, 1932, Lee Bong-chang attempted to assassinate Japanese Emperor Hirohito with a hand grenade. On April 26, 1932, Yun Bong-gil assassinated General Shirakawa and senior military officials.
What triggered all of these courageous acts was Jeon and Jang’s initiative. Their brave act in San Francisco brought Korean immigrants together, leading to the establishment of the Korean National Association in 1910. The association functioned as a temporary provisional government until the Korean Provisional Government was established in Shanghai in 1919.
Korean Historic Site in Los Angeles
What are some of the famous destinations in Los Angeles? Off the top of your head, you may think of Hollywood, the entertainment capital of the world; Santa Monica State Beach, an iconic Southern California beach; J. Paul Getty Museum, a world-renowned art museum; Disneyland, a heaven for children; Universal Studios, a world-famous theme park. Add one more place to visit: the Korea National Association Memorial Hall.
The Korean National Association (KNA) played a pivotal role in the Korean independence movement during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Jeon and Jang’s assassination of Stevens brought Koreans together and led to an effort to create a united Korean-American network. The result was the KNA. Headquartered in San Francisco, the association supported the Korean impendence movement by publishing a newspaper and raising funds to train and sponsor freedom fighters. The Memorial Hall delivers the dreams of Korean freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for their country.
As president of the KNA in North America, Pastor David Daewi Lee invented a typesetting machine to print Korean characters and used it to publish the KNA newspaper, SinhanMinbo. The newspaper covered news about Korean domestic situations and independence movements. It was printed on Wednesdays and distributed to members across the United States. Lee dedicated his life to supporting the Korean independence movement until his death at age 50. His last words were “My fellow countrymen in my home, how are you? I want to see you.” He cared about Korea and the Korean people even while he took his last breath.
The KNA North America building was built under the leadership of Song Heon-joo. He used to say, “We can’t rely on others for our independence without doing our own due diligence.” Song acted as an interpreter for special envoys to The Hague who went to the Second Peace Conference to expose the illegitimacy of the Eulsa Treaty. Although Japan sabotaged the envoys’ participation in the conference, Song helped the envoys speak to the international press about Korea’s situation. Later, he led fundraising campaigns for independence movements by serving as commissioner for the KNA and treasurer for the Korean Provisional Government.
The KNA made a large contribution to achieving Korean independence by inspiring Korean national identity in Korean immigrant children at a Korean language school and training Korean freedom fighters at a military academy. Most importantly, it functioned as the de facto Korean provisional government or the Korean Consulate General that managed diplomatic affairs and consular services for Koreans in the United States. What is surprising is that the U.S. Department of State and the Government of California also recognized its status and authority as an autonomous body. In fact, in 1910, 541 Korean refugees entered the United States without passports and obtained permanent residency through the KNA’s references.
In addition, the KNA played a crucial role in establishing the Korean Provisional Government building in Shanghai during the Japanese occupation period. After the start of the 1919 March 1st Independence Movement in Korea, Korean Americans were united through the KNA. They raised around 90,000 dollars and sent 25,000 dollars to Shanghai. This money was used to establish the provisional government building, which became the base for the Korean independence movement.
If you visit Los Angeles, stop by the Korea National Association Memorial Hall. Find inspiration for your life from Korean freedom fighters, who devoted their lives to building a better future for their country. Also, don’t forget to visit the nearby Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery. This cemetery is special for Koreans because it is like a Korean national cemetery in Los Angeles. Here are 18 Korean freedom fighters resting here:
Han Si-dae (Order of Merit for National Foundation, Independence Medal); Mun Sung-sung (Order of Merit for National Foundation, National Medal); Song Heon-ju (Order of Merit for National Foundation, Independence Medal); Jang In-myeong (Order of Merit for National Foundation, National Medal); Choi Jin-ha (Order of Merit for National Foundation, Independence Medal); Bang Sa-gyum (National Foundation Medal);Shin Hyeong-ho (Order of Merit for National Foundation, National Medal);Park Chung-sub (National Foundation Medal);Im Sung-sil (National Foundation Medal); Kang Young-moon (Order of Merit for National Foundation, National Medal); Park Young-bok (National Foundation Medal); Lee Sungrye(National Foundation Medal);Kim Seong-kwon (Order of Merit for National Foundation, National Medal);Kang Hye-won (Order of Merit for National Foundation, National Medal);Han Jaemyeong (Order of Merit for National Foundation, Patriotic Medal);Kim Jonghak (National Foundation Medal); AhnSeokjung (Order of Merit for National Foundation, National Medal); ImJunki (Order of Merit for National Foundation, National Medal)