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A short article appeared in the miscellaneous news section on page three of the Hangeul (Korean alphabet) pages of the Daehan Maeil Sinbo, or Korea Daily News, on Aug. 28, 1910.The same article appeared in the pages of mixed Korean-Chinese characters.
Headlined Current Issues, it says that according to a reliable source, the Korea-Japan annexation treaty had been officially signed on Aug. 22, and that the Declaration of Annexation would be published. Concerned rules and regulations would be announced on Aug. 29.
What a cool, indifferent statement, reporting the sad news of the tragic passing of their own country! This newspaper had not a single line of news on suicides committed by many desperately irate Koreans. It did not carry an editorial like the famous Today We Cry Out in Lamentation published by the Hwangseong Sinmun which inflamed public opinion five years before when Japan coerced Korea to sign the preceding Protectorate Treaty.
In the next issue on Aug. 30, the documents related to the annexation were printed on the first page of the Korea Daily News. In an editorial titled Purpose of Assimilation the paper stated, In compliance to the intention of the sovereign heads of two states, no one should dare disobey. Led by the civilized governance of Japan, the two nations should harmonize with each other so that East Asian peace shall be upheld eternally.
On the same day, a small notice from the company informs the readers that Korea will be deleted from the name Korea Daily News as no country exists under that name. Thus the paper became Daily News or Maeil Sinbo in Korean.
The first issue of the Korea Daily News was printed on July 18, 1904, by British journalist Ernest Thomas Bethell (1872-1909). This tabloid paper printed two pages in hangeul and four pages in mixed Korean-Chinese characters. From the Aug. 11, 1905 issue, the hangeul was replaced by English — carrying the English title The Korea Daily News.
Bethell was a champion for Koreas independence. The newspaper was an essential tool and foil for him to communicate the Korean situation to the outside world. For the national leaders of Korea, it was an authentic arena to publicize opinions.
Naturally the paper was quite threatening to the Japanese who step by step had been implementing the colonization plot. Bethell was forced to hand over the publisher position to another Brit, one of the editors, A. W. Marnham, on May 27, 1908. He died one year later.
Faced with tenacious and shrewd obstruction by the Japanese, Marnham sold the paper and left Korea in 1910: It then came under complete control of the Japanese. That explains why the news of Koreas demise could be reported in such a dry tone. As mentioned, the hangeul pages were abolished, giving way to English pages. By the announcements in the newspaper, we know the hangeul pages were issued till February 1912, without any extent copy available.
The original copies of the Daily News in hangeul were recently opened to the public for the first time by the Adan Mungo Foundation. The foundation succeeded in collecting 44 issues dated between Aug. 31, 1910, and Dec. 21, 1910. None exist for the period Dec. 22, 1910, to Feb. 29, 1912. The paper carries many literary works as well as serialized novels. There are period novels and epic narratives. Kolniba-jeon is the Korean translation of Gullivers Travels. Experts expect to see a sea of research papers on those newly revealed materials.
There is also an advertisement inviting brothers and sisters to send interesting or funny stories to the Daily News so that people can enjoy and be benefited by them. The prize for first winner was 20 jeon and the second winner 15 jeon.
The Adan Mungo Foundation has recently launched a quarterly magazine Munjawa Sangsang (Words and Imagination). It is a culture and liberal arts publication. According to its mission statement, the magazine aims at sharing globally the valuable materials of the foundation. The first issue carries many revealing stories about novelists, and hand-written memoirs of Choi Nam-seon who led an expedition to Mt. Baekdu in 1926.
An article on Daebanggwangbul Hwaeom-gyeong (Avatamsaka Sutra or the Flower Garland Sutra) offers details on Koreas National Treasure No. 202. It is a prime collection of the foundation. On the other hand, the literary magazines published during the colonial period vividly show the opening of an era of popular readership in Korea. No longer was writing and reading monopolized by the ruling elite scholars.
The story of ardent collector-scholar Baek Sun-je and a brief history of book publishing and sales in Koreas modern period offer many details which had been known to a few professionals. The foundation vows to shed greater light upon Koreas thousand-year literary tradition.
With its enormous collection of rare books and documents as well as modern periodicals, the Adan Mungo Foundation has emerged as a museumarchive of Korean studies. It has staged several exhibitions and published the Adan Mungo Classics Series.
Most of the artifacts are paper and have aged more than a century. One researcher wrote that the table was covered by fine powder from the books when his gentle hands touched and turned the pages. I hope it is not too late for us to relish our treasure of creative works.
The writer is the chairwoman of the Korea Heritage Education Institute (K*Heritage). Her email address is Heritagekorea21@gmail.com.
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