Homer Hulbert to be honored with bust in his Vermont birthplace
Homer Hulbert's bust and two monuments will be unveiled in his hometown in the United States on Saturday (local time). Courtesy of Hulbert Memorial Society
Homer Hulbert (1863-1949), an American educator and missionary who devoted his life to Korea independence, will be honored with a bust in his home state of Vermont, the Hulbert Memorial Society (HMS) said Wednesday.
According to HMS, the unveiling ceremony will take place Saturday in New Haven, Vermont. The bust will be flanked by two stone monuments bearing inscriptions in Korean and English.
"We hope they will serve as a lasting reminder of what Hulbert did for Korea and of friendship between Korea and the U.S.," HMS Chairman Kim Dong-jin said in a press release.
Korean sculptor Kwon Chi-gyu made the 180-centimeter-tall bronze bust in Korea, which was then shipped to Vermont. The monuments were made with stones native to the area.
Vermont Governor Philip Scott, state Sen. Ruth Hardy and state Rep. Jubilee McGill are expected to attend the ceremony, along with about 150 local residents and members of the Korean community.
The program will also feature a rendition of “Arirang," which Hulbert transcribed into Western musical notation 130 years ago.
Born in 1863, Hulbert first arrived in Korea in 1886 to teach at Yugyeong Gongwon, or Royal English School, which provided a Western education to the children of Joseon's elites and aristocrats.
Beside teaching, he went on to conduct academic research on the Korean language and music.
Hulbert also campaigned for Korea’s independence from Japan, undertaking diplomatic missions as Emperor Gojong’s special envoy. His efforts included supporting Gojong's appeal to the 1907 Hague Peace Conference challenging the validity of the 1905 treaty that made Korea a Japanese protectorate. Japan subsequently forced Gojong to abdicate and Hulbert was prevented from returning to Korea.
Hulbert continued his campaign for Korea from the United States. He wrote newspaper columns and gave public lectures, letting Americans know about Korea and defending the country against Japanese colonization.
After Korea's liberation in 1945, he was invited back to Korea by President Syngman Rhee. In August 1949, he passed away and was buried at Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery in Seoul. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1950 and the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit in 2014.