1909 Killing of Ito Stirred Int’l Media Reaction
This is the eighth in a series of articles highlighting the life of Ahn Jung-geun on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his assassination of the first Japanese resident general of Korea, Hirobumi Ito, on Oct. 26, 1909, in China.
By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter
A Korean nationalist's assassination of a top-ranking Japanese official in 1909 in Harbin, China, caused media sensation not just domestically, but also in Japan, China and Russia.
Dailies and periodicals published at the time in Korea and its neighbors closely followed the assassination of Hirobumi Ito, the first resident-general of Korea, by independence activist Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910), according to recent studies.
Leading papers like the Daehan Maeil Newspaper, published from 1904-1910, continued to monitor the aftermath of the breaking news in its detailed coverage of Ahn's days in the Lushun Prison, China, and his trial.
Immediate Reaction
Published by an Englishman, the Daehan Maeil was relatively independent from the Japanese censorship faced by the domestic press at the time.
Its publisher, Ernest Thomas Bethell, had come to Korea to cover the Russo-Japanese War in February 1904.
The six-page daily carried an English edition, which was later independently printed as the Korea News Daily in 1905.
The paper had anti-Japanese tendencies before it was transformed into an official news outlet of the Japanese government-general in Korea in 1910.
It was through a couple of Japanese-language papers published in Korea, Kyungsung Ilbo and Chosun Shinmun, that news of the killing first reached Koreans, according to a thesis published by Shin Un-yong, a researcher with the Patriot Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Conference in Seoul.
They immediately published extra editions on Oct. 26, 1909, the very day of the incident, testifying to the magnitude of the Harbin assassination.
The Daehan Maeil printed the news the day after, Oct. 27, and introduced the incident to the Korean public in a subdued manner in an article entitled "Gunshot Kills Ito," while the Japanese-language papers carried heated denouncements.
Domestic Response
"Most Korean-language papers, except the Daehan Maeil, could not give the incident the praise they would have liked because of Japan's intense media censorship," Shin said.
"While some welcomed Ahn's doing, there was a mixed reaction of disbelief, astonishment and apprehension among the general public.
It seemed that most Koreans saw the incident as retribution against Japan's wrongdoings, such as the dethronement of King Gojong in 1907, he added.
The assassination was also an occasion for Koreans to harbor hopes for the country's independence.
However, some were concerned that Japan may use the assassination as an excuse to reinforce its oppression of Korea.
Meanwhile, some papers, like the pro-Japanese Hwangsung Shinmun and Daehan Minbo, mourned Ito's death.
Ranking officials of such papers organized a delegation and attended Ito's funeral.
These papers referred to Ahn as a "villain."
The Daehan Maeil, on the other hand, called Ahn a "righteous activist" and gave his trial extensive coverage, contributing to the clearing of Ahn's image and promoting anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea.
The reports also touched on the personal side of Ahn, such as his composure upon the declaration of his execution.
Unlike the domestic press, papers published overseas by the Korean community were freer to speak of the incident in a more forthcoming and positive light.
The Shinhan Minbo, or the New Korea, published in the United States, Korea and Russia, praised the incident as one of the year's highlights in its year-end special in 1909 and criticized the unfair trial procedures following the assassination.
In an editorial dated Nov. 3, 1909, the paper showed support for Ahn's cause by commenting, "It is without doubt that Ito is the driving force behind Korea's downfall."
Japan's Tribute to Ito
Ito was a four-time prime minister of Japan before being appointed the resident-general of Korea on Dec. 21, 1905 and remained in the post until June 14, 1909.
The 1905 Eulsa Treaty declared Korea a Japanese protectorate. Eventually, Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910 through an annexation treaty and remained a colony as part of the imperialist expansion of Japan for the next 35 years.
Although Ito wasn't serving in Korea at the time of the assassination, these circumstances led Ahn to believe that Ito's tenure was essentially responsible for solidifying Japan's occupation.
When the Korean independence activist shot Ito, Japan was left in a state of shock. Ito was instantly killed by Ahn's shot and left no last words.
The Japanese media and the people paid tribute to the former Prime Minister, "Prince Ito," widely considered by the Japanese as the "father of modernization" and the face of Meiji reform. Japan honored him with a state funeral.
Japanese dailies published specials and editorials recounting Ito's achievements as a politician.
China, Russia, North Korea
The official positions of Russia and China were not sympathetic to Ahn, and instead mourned the death of Ito.
But the Chinese people, especially reformed-minded ones against the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), were greatly inspired by Ahn ahead of the 1911 Xinhai Revolution.
The Minwoo Daily, published in Shanghai, carried many editorials and articles on Ahn's assassination of Ito.
Dailies based in Beijing, Shenyang, Chongqing, Guangzhou and other major Chinese cities gave detailed reports as well.
According to the latest publication on Russia's perception of the assassination, Vladimir Lenin, the Russian revolutionary and Bolshevik leader, referred to the incident as "the most important example of Korea's resistance against Japan."
Russian state archives show that Russia conducted a detailed report not just of Ahn's case but also about diplomatic and international circumstances surrounding the Korean Peninsula and the Korean royal family.
After Ito was killed, a Russian paper reported that Emperor Sunjong of Korea released a statement, announcing that the "the pillar of the Japanese government had been killed by a Korean national with malicious intent."
The Korean community in Russia has long been devoted to honoring Ahn's legacy.
Ahn visited Russia twice from 1907 to 1910 and inspired the anti-Japanese movement among the Korean-Russian community.
He has been a regular subject in speech events and theatrical performances in schools for children of Korean heritage.
North Korea saw Ahn as a "sincere patriot who fought against Japanese rule" and elaborated on his accomplishments in its history books.
During inter-Korean ministerial talks in 2005, North Korea agreed to conduct joint research with the South to excavate Ahn's remains, which are yet to be recovered from Lushun, China.