Park Jung-yang (; May 3, 1872 – April 23, 1959) was a Korean bureaucrat, politician,

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

and social activist. He demolished the castle of Daegueup and the Old Gyungsangdo Provincial Office, and contributed to city planning and road maintenance in

Daegu Daegu (, , literally 'large hill', 대구광역시), formerly spelled Taegu and officially known as the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea. It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; it is ...

. He also participated in the destruction of the Castle of Jinju. He was a conscientious Japanese colonial supporter with pro-Japanese group ideology as well as an advocate for civil rights. Park went abroad to

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

to study and later returned to become a bureaucrat in his country. He was appointed as the Mayor of

and the deputy Governor of

Gyeongsangbuk-do North Gyeongsang Province ( ko, 경상북도, translit=Gyeongsangbuk-do, ) is a province in eastern South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, and remained a province of Korea until the ...

from 1906 to 1907. Later, he succeeded sequentially in the positions of Governor of Phyeongannamto,

Jeollanam-do South Jeolla Province (; ''Jeollanam-do''; ), also known as Jeonnam, is a province of South Korea. South Jeolla has a population of 1,902,324 (2014) and has a geographic area of located in the Honam region at the southwestern tip of the Korean ...

Phyeonganpukto North Pyongan Province (Phyŏnganbukto; , also spelled North P'yŏngan), is a western province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former P'yŏng'an Province, remained a province of Korea until 1945, the ...

and

Chungcheongnam-do South Chungcheong Province ( ko, 충청남도, ''Chungcheongnam-do''), also known as Chungnam, is a province of South Korea. South Chungcheong has a population of 2,059,871 (2014) and has a geographic area of 8,204 km2 (3,168 sq mi) located in ...

. Park was involved in the

Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910 The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910, also known as the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty, was made by representatives of the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire on 22 August 1910. In this treaty, Japan formally annexed Korea following the Jap ...

and opposed the

March 1st Movement The March 1st Movement, also known as the Sam-il (3-1) Movement (Hangul: 삼일 운동; Hanja: 三一運動), was a protest movement by Korean people and students calling for independence from Japan in 1919, and protesting forced assimilation ...

. He also founded the Refrain Club. Park was also Governor of

Hwanghae-do Hwanghae Province (''Hwanghae-do'' ) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon era. Hwanghae was located in the northwest of Korea. The provincial capital was Haeju. The regional name for the province was Haeseo. History In 139 ...

from 1921 to 1923 and

Chungcheongbuk-do North Chungcheong Province ( ko, 충청북도, ''Chungcheongbuk-do''), also known as Chungbuk, is a province of South Korea. North Chungcheong has a population of 1,578,934 (2014) and has a geographic area of located in the Hoseo region in the s ...

Provinces from 1923 to 1925. Then, in 1928, he was reappointed Governor of

province. Park was pro-Japanese, and was later named a collaborator after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He was nicknamed Haeak (), Ilso (), and Wongeun (). He also had the

Japanese name in modern times consist of a family name (surname) followed by a given name, in that order. Nevertheless, when a Japanese name is written in the Roman alphabet, ever since the Meiji era, the official policy has been to cater to Western expecta ...

s , Jūyō Boku (朴重陽) and .

Early life

Park Jung-yang was born on May 3, 1872, in Junae-myeon in

Yangju Yangju () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Yangju is located south of Dongducheon and north of Uijeongbu, not far from Seoul. History * 1395 - Renamed to Yangju. * January 1, 1963 - Uijeongbu is separated and becomes a city. * Apr ...

county,

Gyeonggi province Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...

. He was the second son of Park Jeong-ho (박정호, 朴鼎鎬; 1840 - September 22, 1892) and Lady Yi of the Jeonju Yi clan (April 21, 1845 - July 12, 1929). The origin of his family is unknown, but it is speculated that he either came from the Miryang Park clan (밀양 박씨) or the Bannam Park clan (반남 박씨). His father supervised a rent farm and leased it out as well. He had three brothers; one older brother and two younger brothers. In his adolescence, he joined the

Independence Club The Independence Association (독립협회, 獨立協會) was founded through the initiative of Philip Jaisohn (Seo Jae-pil) on July 2, 1896. At its founding it was recognized by the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Despite some remarkable ach ...

, but it was dispersed due to the repression of the

Korean Empire The Korean Empire () was a Korean monarchical state proclaimed in October 1897 by Emperor Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. The empire stood until Japan's annexation of Korea in August 1910. During the Korean Empire, Emperor Gojong oversaw the Gwa ...

. This caused Bak to be disappointed and left him with a bad feeling against the

. In March 1894, the

employed and dispatched assassins to Japan and China. In Shanghai, China Kim Ok-kyun, a reform minded activist, was murdered by assassin

Hong Jong-u Hong Jong-u (홍종우, 洪鍾宇, 1850 – 1913) was a Korean assassin, reformer, activist and statesman during the Korean Empire. He assassinated Kim Ok-gyun in Shanghai in 1894. Biography Hong Jong-u was born in Ansan circa 1850. His fat ...

. Kim’s body was turned over to a Chinese warship, where it was dismembered. Parts of his body were put on public display in several towns in Korea as a traditional humiliation and punishment for treason. When Hong returned to Korea he was appointed to high office. Bak grew an extreme hatred towards the

and the people of

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

International study

From an early age, he wanted to go abroad to Japan. In 1897, he was selected as a Korean state student to study abroad in Japan. Bak supported himself during his studies because his family was poor. From 1897 to 1900, he studied in Aoyama middle school. In 1900, he entered Dokyo buki high school as a banking major.Bak Jungyang
/ref> Then, he added a double major in

Japanese police The is a law enforcement agency under the National Public Safety Commission of the Cabinet Office. It is the central agency of the Japanese police system, and the central coordinating agency of law enforcement in situations of national emer ...

studies there. After the graduation, Bak adopted

Neo-Confucianism Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to ''lǐxué'' 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a moral, ethical, and metaphysical Chinese philosophy Chinese philosophy originates in the Spring and Autumn period () and Wa ...

and the 'Theory of the national prosperity and the military power' from

Ito Hirobumi Ito may refer to: Places * Ito Island, an island of Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea * Ito Airport, an airport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo * Ito District, Wakayama, a district located in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan * Itō, Shizuok ...

. At the time, he chose the

ese name Yamamoto Shin. Bak also became a

ese petty bureaucrat. He tried to introduce the

parliamentary system A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...

to the Imperial Korean government, but the Korean government refused. In 1903, he returned and passed the probation period as a civil officer of Imperial Korea. After returning to Korea, Bak continued to advocate a pro-Japanese position.

Career

Korean Empire The Korean Empire () was a Korean monarchical state proclaimed in October 1897 by Emperor Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. The empire stood until Japan's annexation of Korea in August 1910. During the Korean Empire, Emperor Gojong oversaw the Gwa ...
era

Japanese soldiers near Chemulpo Korea August September 1904 Russo Japanese War

In 1903, Bak successfully filled various government posts, and was also appointed as a staff of the Public Administration Agency. In 1905, he served as a military interpreter during the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

. In November 1905, he was appointed to the staff of the Farming, Commerce and Industry Department. He resigned when the

Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905 The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905, also known as the Eulsa Treaty, Eulsa Unwilling Treaty or Japan–Korea Protectorate Treaty, was made between the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire in 1905. Negotiations were concluded on November 17, 19 ...

was signed. On May 5, he was appointed as an engineer of the

National Defense National security, or national defence, is the security and defence of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as protection against military attac ...

Department (군부;軍部) engineer, and accompanied

Prince Yi Kang Yi Kang, Prince Imperial Ui (Korean language, Korean: 의친왕 이강, 30 March 1877－15 August 1955), also known as Prince Uihwa, was the second son of Emperor Gojong of Korea and his concubine, Lady Jang, who was a court lady-in-waiting. I ...

to go to

. Two months later, he returned to his country. In 1906, Bak was promoted to Governor of

County.Bak Jungyang
Then, after a short period, he was promoted again to the Acting Governor of the

. During the term, Bak tore down the castle of Daegueup without official permission He secretly hired

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

workers to tear down the structure. also Bak was lay out a new street. In early 1906, he applied for permission from the Korean government, but it was refused. The government tried to punish him for the action, but he acquired protection from

. Later, he modernized the

city planning and road maintenance. He strove in building modern hospitals, medical schools and colleges, and successfully built the Dojin hospital and its affiliated medical school. He was also a supporter of the free press, including journals which satirized him. His idea was that the freedom of the press is a must to supervise the government. In 1907, he became a governor of Phyeongannamto and

, and in 1910, the Governor of

Japanese rule

When the

was signed in August 1910, Bak remained as the Governor of Chungcheongnam-do until 1915. From 1916 to 1920, he was a member of Japanese Government-General of Korea's

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

. In 1919, he opposed the

,친일중의 친일 ‘3·1운동 자제단’은 누구?
The Hangyeolye 2010.03.01 and founded the Refrain club on 6 April in response. Bak was hindrance and dissuade, advice of go home of demonstrato of

. His old friends

Seo Jae-pil Soh Jaipil or Seo Jae-pil (January 7, 1864 – January 5, 1951), also known as Philip Jaisohn, was a Korean- American political activist and physician who was a noted champion of the Korean independence movement, the first Korean naturalized cit ...

and

Yun Chi-ho Yun Chi-ho (Korean: 윤치호, hanja: 尹致昊, 1864 – 1945) or Tchi ho yun was an important political activist and thinker during the late 1800s and early 1900s in Joseon Korea. His penname was Jwa-ong (좌옹, 佐翁); his courtesy name wa ...

cut off relations with him due to this. He was appointed as the Governor of Hwanghae Province in 1921, and the Governor of

North Chungcheong Province North Chungcheong Province ( ko, 충청북도, ''Chungcheongbuk-do''), also known as Chungbuk, is a province of South Korea. North Chungcheong has a population of 1,578,934 (2014) and has a geographic area of located in the Hoseo region in the s ...

in 1923 to 1925. After the

1923 Great Kantō earthquake The struck the Kantō Plain on the main Japanese island of Honshū at 11:58:44 JST (02:58:44 UTC) on Saturday, September 1, 1923. Varied accounts indicate the duration of the earthquake was between four and ten minutes. Extensive firestorms an ...

, he appealed to the Japanese government to release the arrested Koreans, and asserted that the Koreans were not involved in the criminal cases which occurred during the earthquake. In November 1924, he was accused in a sex abuse scandal, but the accuser woman suddenly died; three years later, the charge against him was dismissed. In 1928, he was re-appointed as the Governor of

Hwanghae Province Hwanghae Province (''Hwanghae-do'' ) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon era. Hwanghae was located in the northwest of Korea. The provincial capital was Haeju. The regional name for the province was Haeseo. History In 139 ...

. He governed the civilians through a regulated bureaucracy system, often with warning and several days of confinement instead of punishment, and suppressed the power of the Japanese police and soldiers to harass civilians, even putting them in confinement as well. Sometimes, the bureaucrats were imprisoned, but the Japanese police never arrested him, because he was especially trusted by the Japanese

Governor-General of Korea Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

, which pleased many

Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

people.

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
era

left, 140px, Bak Jungyang, later 1930's In 1927 to 1939, he was a member of Japanese Government-General of Korea's

; and in 1936, the advisor of Japanese Government-General of Korea's

. Seven years later, he was elected as the vice-chairman of the council. In 1940, he changed name to Hōchū Segeyō as per the

ese

Sōshi-kaimei Sōshi-kaimei (創氏改名, ko, 일본식 성명 강요) was a policy of pressuring Koreans under Japanese rule to adopt Japanese names. It consisted of two parts. Ordinance No. 19, issued in 1939, required ''sōshi'', literally "creatio ...

. On October 22, 1941, he was appointed as the adviser of the Fight-patriotic of Joseon Group, which merged with the Peoples Mind Alliance in January 1943. During the Asia-Pacific War, he contributed to encourage and comfort the Japanese troops, as in 1942 and 1943, when he was sent to console the Japanese troops stationed in

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

. In 1943, he was appointed as Vice-Chairman of Japanese Government-General of Korea's Privy Council. On 3 April 1945, he was elected as a congressman in the House of Peers. Due to his cooperation with the

Japanese Empire The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...

and the Japanese Governor-General of Korea, he was listed as a Pro-Japanese collaborators in Korea by the Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities in 2008.

Later years

was liberated on August 15, 1945, after the end of

, but Bak stayed in

. He mocked the Korean independence activists for talking about their heroic deeds in the independence battle. After October 1945, as some pro-Japanese group begged for their lives, he ridiculed Korean resistance activists. On January 1, 1949, he was arrested by the

Special Investigation Committee of Anti-National Activities The Special Investigation Committee of Anti-National Activities ( ko, 반민족행위특별조사위원회 abbreviated 반민특위) was established by the Constituent National Assembly to investigate those who actively cooperated with the Japa ...

and charged under the National Traitor Law."해방이 1년만 늦었어도 황국신민 대우를..."
오마이뉴스 2004.09.11. But, Bak maintained his innocence at the court and stood by his pro-Japanese beliefs. In February 1949, he was released on bail due to

bronchial pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity of ...

and asthma. Later, he continued to criticize President

Syngman Rhee Syngman Rhee (, ; 26 March 1875 – 19 July 1965) was a South Korean politician who served as the first president of South Korea from 1948 to 1960. Rhee was also the first and last president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Ko ...

, Kim Gu, Lee See-yeong and Ham Tae-yeong as "patrioteers". In 1955, Rhee tried to confine Bak to a So-ju-yeong psychiatric hospital and Seoul Seongmo psychiatric hospital, but failed. Bak Jungyang died Chimsan Mountine, in

on April 23, 1959, due to pneumonia. the cause of death is lung disease and Senile disease.

Personal life

Family

One version says he was an adopted son of

. But in 1948, he spoke to some press company and confirmed it was a lie.현암조상원추모문집간행위원회, 《현암 조상원》 (현암사, 2001) 381페이지 He referred to

as "My respected teacher". He had a wife named Yi Ju-yeol (이주열, 李主悅/李柱烈; 4 March 1870 - 20 May 1960), who was a member of the royal Jeonju Yi clan, and four sons and three daughters. His first son Park Mun-ung (박문웅, 朴文雄; December 7, 1890 - 14 August 1959) was the succeeding mayor of Cheongdo,

Cheongsong Cheongsong County (or Cheongsong-gun) is a county in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Administrative divisions Cheongsong is divided into 1 eup and 7 myeon. Climate Cheongsong has a humid continental climate (Köppen: ''Dwa''), but can ...

, Sangju, and Dalseong in North Gyeongsang Province in 1940s. It is unknown when his second son Park Mu-ung (박무웅, 朴武雄) died and his other children died, but his third son had and was survived by his daughter, Park Du-sun (박두순, 朴斗順). His granddaughter, Park Mun-ung's daughter, Park Bu-nam (박부남, 朴富南; December 6, 1931 – January 1, 2018) was a

pediatrician Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until the ...

and internist, she was a university professor at the College of Medicine of

Kyungpook National University Kyungpook National University (경북대학교, abbreviated as KNU or Kyungdae, 경대) is one of ten Flagship Korean National Universities representing Daegu Metropolitan City and Gyeongbuk Province in South Korea. It is located in the Dae ...

Keimyung University Keimyung University (계명대학교, Gyemyeong Daehakgyo), abbreviated as KMU or Keimyung (啓明), is a private university located in Daegu, the fourth largest city in South Korea. The university takes roots from Jejungwon founded in 1899. Th ...

. Park Bu-nam eventually married Yi Yeol-hui (이열희, 李烈熙; 18 December 1924 - 9 August 2012) who was a member of the Gyeongju Yi clan. Yi Yeol-hui is a dentist and plastic surgeon, Yi was a university professor of College of Medicine of

and nephew of poet Yi Sang-hwa and resistance activists Yi Sang-jeong, politician Yi Sang-baek. Park Jung-yang had a daughter, Park Jeong-ja (박정자, 朴政子; 1936 - ?), with an unnamed Japanese concubine who was born in 1909.

Pet name

He had "Stick Mr. Bak(박작대기/박짝대기)" as his pet name. The pet name was selected as such because Bak always carried a long stick, sometime called the "Enlightened Stick".

Other

For decades, Bak regularly wrote in his diary every day, which was stored in 20 boxes. Bak's diary was captured when he was arrested by the

. Even after being release Bak didn't get his diary back. Bak wrote a memoir "Sulhoe", copy paper of some diary and his memories.

Books

* 《Bak Jungyang's Diary》(박중양일기, 朴重陽日記) * 《Sulhoe》(술회, 述懷) * 《Sinnyeon sogam》(신년소감, 新年所感) * 《Pokdosa pyeonjip jaryo》(폭도사편집자료, 暴徒史編輯資料) (1907)

Gallery

Image:朴重陽 2.png, Bak Jungyang (1941) Image:반민특위에 출두하는 박중양.png, Bak Jungyang (Jan 1949) Image:박중양 5.jpg, Bak Jungyang (Jun 1907) Image:Park Joong-yang 2.jpg, Bak Jungyang (1908) Image:박중양 충북도지사.png, Bak Jungyang (1925) Image:1933.03.01 朴重陽 2.jpg, Bak Jungyang (1932) Image:朴重陽と朝鮮民報記者 1935.09.04..png, Bak Jungyang and one jounarists (1935) Image:1906년 10월 대구 읍성 철거보고서.png, Report of Demolition Daegu Castle (Oct 1906) Image:박중양 관찰사의 장계.jpg, A Handwriting letter to Emperor Kojong (Nov 1, 1909) Image:박중양 휘호.png, A calligraphy art (Nov 30, 1933) Image:朴重陽興天地無窮.png, A calligraphy art, send to Hoseo News (Mar 1, 1932) Image:중추원 참의 박중양 북경 출장 명령서.jpg, Holographic Report of Business trip orders (1938) Image:자제단 조직 뉴스 기사.jpg, News of Refrain club, his founding club (Apr 16, 1919)

Notes

References

* Bak Eungyung(1999), ''일제하 조선인관료 연구'', Seoul, Korea: Hakminsa. * 반민족문제연구소(1993), ''친일파 99인 1'', Seoul, Korea: Dolbegye. . * Lim Jong-guk(1991), ''실록 친일파'', Seoul, Korea: Dolbegye. . * 민족경제연구소(1948), ''친일파 군상'', Seoul, Korea: 삼성출판사.
일제말~해방~한국戰 잔혹사
* Jeong Jae-yong(2008), ''빙이화 (상, 하)'', Seoul, Korea:Hansome media * Daqinfo(2003), ''부끄러운 문화 답사기'', Seoul, Korea:Bookis

External links

Bak Jungyang

Bak Jungyang

Bak Jungyang:Korea historical person information

"일제가 현대 조선 개신" 해방후에도 망발…친일파 박중양
i-Daegumail news 2010. 01.25

The Dailian News 2010.01.30

The Dailian News 2010.01.30

The Hangyeolye 2010.03.01 {{DEFAULTSORT:Bak, Jungyang Joseon politicians Korean politicians South Korean Confucianists South Korean translators History of liberalism People of the Russo-Japanese War Korean scholars Korean Confucianists Japanese politicians Korean collaborators with Imperial Japan Korean philosophers Interpreters 1874 births 1959 deaths 20th-century translators Members of the House of Peers (Japan) Officials of the Korean Empire