Joong-Gun

32 Moves 4th Kup

Joong-Gun is named after the Korean patriot Ahn Joong-Gun who assasinated Hiro Bumi Ito, the 1st Japanese governer general of Korea.  Known as the man who played the leading part in the Korea-Japan merger.  There are 32 moves in this pattern to represent Mr. An's age when he was executed in the Lui-Shung Prison during 1910

In 1905, Japan and Korea signed the “Treaty of Protection”, which gave Japan a governing role.

The Korean Emperor, Ka Jong argued that it had been signed in duress.  His protestations then led his forced abdication.

Hostility grew amongst the Korean people to their new “All powerful allies”.

The first Japanese resident general was Hiro Bumi Ito, who took up office in 1906.  To quash any uprising among the peasants, photographs of rebellious Koreans being executed were distributed by the Japanese.

When the hostilities continued, Hiro-Bumi Ito, Minister Katsura and Foreign Minister Komura met on April 10^th 1909 and agreed that only annexation will solve the Korean question, effectively making Korea part of Japan.

Hiro Bumi Ito was assassinated by Ahn Joong Gun, at Harbin Railway Station, in Manchuria, on 26^th October 1909.

This desperate struggle for independence only fuelled the annexation.  The old Korea came to an end on 29^th August 1910.

Ahn Joon-Gun, 1879-1910, was an educator until the japanese military occupation became enmeshed in its power play for Korea.  In the face of oppression by the Japanese annexation of Korea, Ahn Joong-Gun went into self-exile in southern Manchuria.  There, he formed a small private guerilla army of 300 men which conducted sporadic raids across the Manchurian border in northern Korea.

Working underground as a guerilla, Ahn Joon-Gun passed himself off as a train worker at the Harbin train station in Korea and assassinated Hiro Bumi Ito, when Mr. Ito stepped from the train to the platform, at 9:00 AM on October 26, 1909.  Upon his capture, he was imprisoned at Port Arthur where he was tortured and interrogated for the next 5 months.

On March 26, 1910 at 10 AM, Mr. Ahn was executed.  After his execution guards found written on his cell wall, in most elegant calligraphy the Korean phrase that translates to "The best rivers and mountains..."

Ahn Choong-Kun shooting Hirobumi Ito

Summary Biography

Among many patriotic forefathers who sacrificed themselves to save the nation. Patriot Ahn Choong Kun is a true representative of those who exalted very high the national spirit. Originated from Sunhung, Patriot Ahn, a 26th generation descendant of Munsungkong Ahn Yu, was born on September 2, 1879.

His grand father Insukong was a man of high reputation who served as the head of Chinhaehyun(District), Patriot Ahn`s father Taehunkong was a scholar and his mother was from Cho family of Paekchon. Born with the 7 black dots along the chest and abdomen. he was thought to be sent by the 7 stars in the Big Dipper and named Ungchil by his parents.

When he was six years old, his family moved to Turamyon , Shinchon-gun, to live in Chonggye-dong at the foot of the beautiful Mt, Chon-Bong, Learning letters very early Patriot Ahn seemed very promising to become a scholar in the future. Around the age of seven he began to demonstrate his excellent ability in horse riding and archery, too.

At the time of local riots under the pretext of Ton-ghak (Eastern Learning) Revolution when he was 16, he led the soldiers drafted by his father and suppressed the rebels.

He married Aryo, a daughter of Kim Hongsion of the Japanese.

He returned home only to see his father's death and lay him to rest in his hometown.

Moving to Chinnampo the next year, he put all his money to establish Tonui School and Sambung School so as to educate the manpower for the `Save-the-Nation Movement`.

Unable to suppress his raging anger, he decided to go to Vladivostok where he unfolded fierce military campaign against Japan in the capacity of lieutenant general of the Korean Righteous Army cum Chief of the Special Independence Corps. At the age of 29, he led 300 Righteous Army soldiers across the Tumangang River to fight against Japanese police force in Kyonghung, combating Japanese Defense Guards in Hoyryong.

It was when he was 30 years old that he cut his finger and wrote in blood `Korean Independence` on Taegukgi (Korean national flag) together with the 11 colleagues from the Death Band.

Reading from the new-paper that Ito Hirobumi would make an inspection tour around Northern Manchuria to have talks with Russian Minister Kokopchev on Oriental policies, he arrived in Harbin thinking this could be the very chance to take revenge on behalf of the nation. At the historical moment of 9:30 a.m., October 26, 1909, Ito Hirobumi was shot to death by single-handed Patriot Ahn upon getting of from the train at Harbin Railroad Station under watertight guard and welcoming foreign delegates. Patriot Ahn then threw the gun away only to shout 'Hurrah for Korea' three times smiling pleasantly before being arrested by the Russian military police, who later handed him over to Japanese Authority. It is reported that he fired 6 shots, 3 at Ito Hirobumi and 3 at his

With such an encouraging news of Ito`s death spread world over, there were no Koreans or Chinese who didn't jump with delight. Never yielding to all those torments and tortures in Rwisun Jail for 5 months, he wrote his Autobiography, The stories of Peace in the Orient, and various autographs. In the Maeyang Court, he not only charged Ito severely for the 15 kinds of crimes including the infringements of Korean territory, Korea1s sovereignty, and the peace in the Orient, but revealed with great dignity the reasons for his deeds.

The Japanese judiciary authority sentenced death to him on February 14 and years of prison terms to his colleagues Woo Duk-sun, Cho To-son, and Yu Tong-ha, leaving the last will touching deep the hearts of 20 million Koreans and changing into new clothes, Patriot Ahn ended his life in martyrdom at 10:00 a.m. March 26, 1910, in Rwisun Prison at the age of 30½.

Though short his life was, his spirit will shine forever in the history. He was survived by one son and one daughter, Chunsaeng and Hyun-saeng, and also by his grandson Ung-ho. Who will inherit his patriotism generation after generation.

Ito Hirobumi - prince, 1841-1909.

Japanese statesman and architect of Japan's modernization. After visiting the West, he created the new government and constitution (1889). He was prime minister (1892-96; 1898, 1900-01) and formed the Seiyukai party (1900). While serving as resident-general of Korea, he was assassinated.

Harbin Main Station in Later Years

Another View of Harbin in Recent Times

Harbin Rail Maps

http://www.patriot.or.kr Website for Ahn Joong Geun

 

An Jung-geun (Sept 2 1879 - March 26, 1910 was the Korean man who assassinated the Japanese polititian Ito Hirobumi, the former Resident-General of Korea. He is regarded as a hero in South Korea while North Koreans think he led the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910.


An Jung-geun, who had previously led Korean forces fighting against the Japanese, assassinated Ito Hirobumi on the railway platform in Harbin (Manchuria) in 1910. He was captured and sentenced to death.
The execution took place in Lui shun prison.

An had cut off parts of several of his fingers and used the resulting blood to write "Korean Independance" on the Korean national flag.

He is commemorated in the Martial Art of Taekwon-Do and the pattern which is dedicated to him is called Joon Gun. There are 32 movements in this pattern which signifies his age when he died (though using the western calender, actually he was 30 and a half)
His age of 32 when he died is correct in Korean age. Using this method, each year the person is alive is counted, and it's incremented at the lunar New Year. So if you count every year from 1879 through 1910, including the beginning and ending years, he was indeed 32 when he died. This is different from the way Western birthdays are calculated, where it is incremented only on their birthdate.

An Jung-geun - born September 2 1879 in Haeju, Hwanghae-do, the first son of An Tae-hun and Baek Cheon-jo , of the family of the Sunheung An lineage. His childhood name was An Eung-chil

October 26 1909, he assassinated Ito Hirobumi(aged 68) at Harbin railway station (which opened in 1899) as Songhuajiang station literally "Songhua River Railway Station opened in October,1899. Song?hua?jiang Station was renamed Harbin Station in July,1903.
Harbin is originally a Manchu word meaning "a place for drying fishing nets". Harbin has very cold winters and is often called "Ice City". Harbin is well-known for its beautiful ice sculptures in winter and plays an important part in China's trade with Russia. In the 1920s, Harbin was considered China's fashion capital as new designs from Paris and Moscow reached there first before arriving in Shanghai.
Harbin is also a potential candidate for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

An had two brothers Jeong-Geun and Gong-Geun

After six trials, An was sentenced to death by the Japanese colonial court in Ryojun China. An was angered at the sentence, though he expected it.
He had hoped to be viewed as a prisoner of war instead of an assassin.
Judge Hirashi, who presided over An's trial, had promised An that a stay of execution for at least a few months would be granted, but Tokyo ordered prompt action.
Prior to his execution, An made two final requests; that the wardens help him finish his essay, "On Peace in East Asia", and for a set of white silk Korean clothes to die in. The warden was able to grant the second request and resigned shortly afterwards.
An requested to be executed as a prisoner of war, by firing squad. But instead it was ordered that he should be hanged as a common criminal would be.
The execution took place in Port Arthur, then also known as Ryojun on March 26 1910, aged 30½ (32 is used in korea because they include the year of birth and death (79, 80, 80...90, 10)

An Jung-geun studied the Chinese literature and martial arts. In 1895 he was converted into Catholic following his father, then had a chance to contact with the western learning. In 1905 he established Dongui School in Jinnam-po and while cultivating personal resources, he exiled himself to Yeongaeju in 1907 and joined the movement by a righteous army. In 1908 he fortified a hot line against Japan with a hundred soldiers or so, entitled as a special-dispatched commander and concurrently a lieutenant general of Korean Chammobu (one of military organization) under the control of Jeon Je-deok, and commander of Aryeong area. In 1909, An Jung-geun cut one of his fingers with his 11 patriotic colleges to take an oath of sacrificing their lives for country's liberation. On October 26 that year, he did a historical action; that was, after he had heard the news that Yideungbakmun who was the lethal enemy of all the Korean was coming to Harbin station of Manchuri in order to have a talk with Russian summit, he disguised himself as a Japanese and entered the station only to shot Yideungbakmun surrounded by the Russian army and make a consul of Harbin wound. An Jung-geun was caught on the spot and taken in prison in Yeisun.




This is An's autograph. It was made in prison, located in Lushun, Manchuria and sent to a Japanese doctor, after An shot Ito Hirobumi.
"If wishing to make peace in Asia, Japan must correct its political policy. After time goes by, you would have missed your the chance. It is useless to be regretful." - Written by Daehangukin (a Korean People) An Jung-geun in 1910 (Gyeongsul year).



These are calligraphic writings, which Ahn Jung-geun created during his imprisonment in the Ruisun Jail in Manchuria, From Oct. 26, 1909, when he shot and killed Ito Hirbumi, Japanese Chief Commander, at Haeolbin, China, to Feb. 14, 1910, when he was executed at the Ruisun Jail, he made 200 pieces, and 20 of them are designated as the official National Treasure (Bomul).

In this museum, 4 pieces of his calligraphic writings are displayed, and they show, in both content and stroke of brush, his ever strong will, spirit, and love for the country, even while facing imminent execution.

Specially, they are famous for his unusual
signature of his palm print with one cut-off finger node and the words, "Ahn Jung-geun, a Citizen of the Great Korea".

 

Ito Hirobummi:
He was a Choshu Samurai's adopted son and gained samurai status for himself in 1863, but a visit to England in the same year convinced him of the necessity of modernising Japan by adopting Western ways. In 1864 he returned to Japan with Inoue Kaoru to attempt to warn the Choshu clan against going to war with the foreigners over the right of passage through the Straits of Shimonoseki. At that time he met Ernest Satow for the first time, later a lifelong friend.


After the Meiji Restoration, Ito served as a junior councillor in a number of different ministries. In 1873, Ito was made a full councillor and following the death of Okubo Toshimichi in 1878 he was home minister and dominated the government, by 1881 he forced Okuma Shigenobu to resign and gain the key role for himself. He headed a number of missions to study foreign governments. Based on the European ideas he established a cabinet and civil service in 1885, replacing the Dajokan as the decision-making state organisation, and became the first Prime Minister. In 1885 he negotiated the Convention of Tientsin with Li Hung-chang. He supervised the drafting of the Meiji Constitution of 1889. He remained head of the Privy council while Kuroda Kiyotaka and Yamagata Aritomo Yamagata Aritomo were Prime Ministers.

As Prime Minister again (1892-96) he supported the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) and negotiated the Treaty of Shimonoseki in March 1895. After the war he became the first leader of the Seiyukai party, opposing Yamagata Aritomo. Prime Minister twice more (1898-1899, 1900-1901) he tried to negotiate a settlement with Russia before being forced from office by more militaristic politicians. He remained a power in the government as the premiership alternated between Saionji Kimmochi and Katsura Taro.

In November 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War Korea was occupied by Japanese forces and the Korean government was made to sign the Protectorate Treaty, Ito became the first Resident General there in 1906. He forced the Korean ruler, King Gojong, to abdicate in 1907 in favour of his son King Sunjong and pushed through the Korean-Japanese Convention (1907) giving Japan considerable control of Korean internal affairs. Despite resigning as Resident General in 1909 Ito was assassinated at Harbin in Manchuria by a Korean nationalist An Jung-geun in 1909. His death provoked the full annexation of Korea in 1910 with the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty.

 

Reasons for Assassination

 "I assassinated Ito Hirobumi as a part of war for the independence of Korea. The reason I am at the Japanese court is I have been taken as a prisoner of war. Since I did that not as a private person but in the capacity of the lieutenant general of the Korean Righteous Army for the independence of my fatherland and the peace in the Orient, I shall be tried under international laws".

Major Project Activities

 Bringing back and laying Patriot Ahn`s remains to rest at home 

Finding and collecting the relics and data on Patriot Ahn

Publishing and supplying Patriot Ahn`s Autobiography written in prison, photo album 'National Spirit', and research papers to inherit his patriotism

Holding ceremonies to commemorate his birthday, his heroic deeds and martyrdom

Carrying out research into his life and thoughts, and holding symposiums for education

Establishing sacred precinct for Patriot Ahn`s monuments (Stone monument bearing his autographs and analects)

Conducting patriotic pilgrimage to the memory of Patriot Ahn (Shanghai-Rwisun_harbin-Mt. Pakdusan)

Holding calligraphy contest 

The Last Will

 "My remains shall be buried near the Harbin Yard until the sovereignty of Korea is restored. Then I shall be taken home and laid to rest there. I will, no doubt, continue to do my best also in Heaven for the independence of my country. You return home and tell my fellow countrymen to assume their responsibility for the nation fulfilling their duty in concerted efforts and unity, so that they may render valuable services and achieve great results for the nation. When the Hurrahs for Korea's Independence are heard to me in Heaven, I, too, will dance and give Hurrahs there".