Kim Ransa ( ko, 김란사; 1872–1919), was a Korean independence activist. She was also a teacher of

Yu Gwan-sun Yu Gwan-sun (Hangul: 유관순, Hanja: 柳寬順) (December 16, 1902 – September 28, 1920) was a Korean independence movement, Korean independence activist organizer in what would come to be known as the March First Independence Movement agai ...

, who organized 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 ...

against Japanese rule.

Early life

Kim Ransa was born in 1872 in Pyongyang. Despite the school policy that banned the admission of married women, she successfully persuaded the educators of Ewha Haktang and became a student in 1896 at the age of 24. Later on, she studied at

Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio. It was founded in 1842 by methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five – a consortium ...

, becoming the first Korean woman to study abroad and earn a bachelor's degree.

Teaching career

After her graduation, Kim returned from the United States and started teaching English and Bible in Ewha Hakdang. She then became an advisor for a student-led organization called Ewha Literary Society (E-mun-hai) which played a pivotal role in guiding Yu Gwan-sun to lead a peaceful demonstration with other female students. Kim encouraged Yu Gwan-sun to become "a light for Korea," and join the organization. Kim then became the only Korean professor to join the establishment of the first women's college at Ewha Haktang in 1910 and eventually served as the vice principal.

Independence advocacy

With the trust of Gojong, the last king of Joseon and the first Emperor of Korea, Kim played an essential role as a translator and an emissary in the Korean independence movement. In 1919, Gojong and Kim made plans to send delegates (including Kim) to the Paris Peace Conference seeking foreign support for Korean independence, but the attempt stopped after the sudden death of Gojong on January 21, 1919.

Death

In 1919, Kim traveled to Beijing in order to attend the Paris Peace Conference. After having a meal with Korean residents in Beijing, she fell ill and eventually died at the age of 47. There were witnesses that Kim's corpse turned black (potentially due to poisoning), but the official cause of death was not determined.

Legacy

Kim is known for her advocacy of women empowerment through education. In response to a piece written by

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 ...

in the journal ''The Korea Mission Field'' in July 1911 detailing the need for Korean women to learn how to do household chores, Kim published a rebuttal piece asserting that "the purpose of education for women is not to cook or sew better," and that "women students should not be blamed, with a lack of evidence, for not knowing how to do laundry nor ironing. In 1995, Kim was posthumously awarded with the

Order of Merit for National Foundation The Order of Merit for National Foundation (Hangul: 건국훈장) is one of South Korea's orders of merit. It is awarded by the President of South Korea for "outstanding meritorious services in the interest of founding or laying a foundation for th ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Ransa Women Korean independence activists 1872 births 1919 deaths People from Pyongyang Ohio Wesleyan University alumni Recipients of the Order of Merit for National Foundation Ewha Womans University alumni Korean feminists