In Memory of Ahn Jung-geun
From ‘Hero’ to Advocate of Peace in Northeast Asia
By Kim Hyun-chul
We will mark the 100th anniversary of Ahn Jung-geun's assassination of Hirobumi Ito, the first Japanese resident general of Korea, who spearheaded the island country's forced annexation of Korea. Ahn fired a round of shots and killed Ito on the railway platform in Harbin, Manchuria, on Oct. 26, 1909.
With his pure heart and passion against Japan's imperialism, Ahn's act helped encourage the Korean people in their efforts to restore the sovereignty of their country that had fallen prey to colonialism.
After the assassination, Ahn was sent to Lushun prison. Then during his trial in a Japanese court there, he stated that Japan's encroachment on Korea's sovereignty damaged peace and prosperity not only in both countries but also in Northeast Asia.
On the morning of Aug. 15 this year, when Korea celebrated its 64th anniversary of national liberation from Japanese colonial rule, I took part in an event marking the centennial of the assassination in Harbin, northeast China. Then, I traveled to Lushun, Dalian, in pursuit of Ahn's legacy to have a better understanding about how he desperately advocated ``peace in Asia.''
When I stared at Ahn's statue in his memorial hall in Harbin, I found the benignly-looking eyes of the Catholic. At the same time, I found his eyes emanating rage over Japan's control of Korea and Manchuria where many helpless people were persecuted by the imperialists.
It is certain that Ahn could not ignore the pain of Japanese people who were forced into battlefields as well as Chinese people who suffered due to Japan's aggression. Ahn must have realized that peace should be brought not only to Korea but also to Northeast Asia.
Before his execution, in a dreary prison cell in Lushun in March 1910, the young ``hero'' of Korea painted a picture in which Korea, China and Japan would coexist in peace and prosperity. Ahn's last message was peace.
He suggested in his essay, ``On Peace in East Asia,'' that Lushun, the site for his execution and battlefield of the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese war, should be turned into a permanent neutral zone. He also proposed that Korea, China and Japan hold a parley to discuss ways of settling peace in Northeast Asia.
However, his lofty aspiration for peace had not been translated into action because of expanding colonial rule by Japan and the Western powers. His thoughts on peacemaking through cooperation between Korea, China and Japan have long been buried in oblivion.
Now, it is fortunate that Ahn's peace initiative is increasingly drawing attention in the region 100 years later. Korea, China and Japan are actively engaging in discussions on how to step up cooperation and exchanges under the framework of a Northeast or East Asian community.
We have to play a key role in taking a first step to putting Ahn's aspiration for peace into reality. We have not yet found his remains. But, it is necessary to enliven his spirit and maintain his legacy. In this regard, we ought to do our best to create a better future of Northeast Asia.
Historians and experts of Korea, China and Japan are scheduled to hold a symposium to delve into Ahn's pan-Asianism and an envisaged Northeast Asian peace community in Seoul on Oct. 26, exactly 100 years after he assassinated Ito. The participants are expected to pool their wisdom and activate joint research to contribute to peace in the region.
No one can deny that Ahn sowed the seeds of peace a century ago through his words and deeds. I hope that the seeds will grow into a big tree and bear the fruits of peace in Northeast Asia.
Kim Hyun-chul is a research fellow at the Northeast Asian History Foundation in Seoul. He specializes in history of Korean diplomacy and international politics. He can be reached at hyunchulkim@korea.com.