Kim Gu
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Kim Gu (, ; August 29, 1876 – June 26, 1949), also known by his pen name Baekbeom (백범; ), was a Korean statesman. He was the sixth, ninth, and president of the
Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea The Korean Provisional Government (KPG), formally the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, was a partially recognized Korean government-in-exile based in Shanghai, China, and later in Chongqing, during the period of Japanese c ...
; a leader of the
Korean independence movement The Korean independence movement was a military and diplomatic campaign to achieve the independence of Korea from Empire of Japan, Japan. After the Japanese Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910, annexation of Korea in 1910, Korea's domestic resistance pe ...
against the
Empire of Japan 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 fo ...
; and a
Korean reunification Korean reunification () is the potential reunification of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea into a single Korean sovereign state. The process towards reunification was started by the June 15th North–South Joi ...
activist after 1945. He was assassinated by Korean Lieutenant
Ahn Doo-hee Ahn Doo-hee (alternative spelling: Ahn Doo-whi) (24 March 1917 in Ryūsen-gun, Heianhoku-dō, Chōsen – 23 October 1996) was a Korean lieutenant who carried out the assassination of independence activist Korean leader Kim Koo on 26 June ...
in 1949.


Early life

Kim was born in Teot-gol (텃골), Baek-un-bang (백운방),
Haeju Haeju () is a city located in South Hwanghae Province near Haeju Bay in North Korea. It is the administrative centre of South Hwanghae Province. As of 2008, the population of the city is estimated to be 273,300. At the beginning of the 20th century ...
,
South Hwanghae South Hwanghae Province (Hwanghaenamdo; , lit. "south Yellow Sea province") is a province in western North Korea. The province was formed in 1954 when the former Hwanghae Province was split into North and South Hwanghae. The provincial capital ...
Province,
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 ...
, the only son of the farmers Kim Soon-young (김순영) and Kwak Nack-won (곽낙원). His name at birth was Kim Changahm (; ). When he was nine years old, he started to study
Chinese classic texts Chinese classic texts or canonical texts () or simply dianji (典籍) refers to the Chinese texts which originated before the imperial unification by the Qin dynasty in 221 BC, particularly the "Four Books and Five Classics" of the Neo-Confucia ...
such as ''
Zizhi Tongjian ''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...
'', and '' Great Learning'' at local
seodang Seodang were private village schools providing elementary education during the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties of Korea. Background They were primarily occupied with providing initial training in the Chinese classics to boys of 7-16 years of age, bu ...
s. Kim was a 34th-generation descendant of Kim Suk-seung (김숙승;金叔承), the founder of the
Andong Kim clan {{unreferenced, date=December 2014 The Andong Kim clan (Hangul: 안동 김씨, Hanja: 安東 金氏) refers to two Korean clans. They were prominent yangban families during Korea's Joseon Dynasty originating from Andong, North Gyeongsang provin ...
(Old), who was the grandson of King
Gyeongsun of Silla Gyeongsun of Silla (896–978) was the 56th and final ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla. Biography A sixth-generation descendant of King Munseong, he was the son of Hyogong by Princess Gyea, who was the daughter of King Heongang. His wife ...
. He is the 22nd-generation descendant of
Kim Sa-hyeong Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese f ...
(김사형;金士衡), one of the meritorious retainer at the founding of the
Joseon dynasty 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 ...
and was himself the great-great-grandson of the famous
Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificati ...
military personnel Kim Bang-gyeong (김방경;金方慶). Sa-hyeong's sixth-generation descendant was
Kim Ja-jeom Kim Ja-jeom (; 1588 – January 27, 1652) was a Korean scholar-official of the Joseon dynasty period and Ming-Qing transition. He was one of the disciples of Seong Hon and came from the Andong Kim clan. He was Joseon's Chief State Councillo ...
, who became his seven-greats-grandfather Kim Dae-chung, who escaped to
Hanyang Hanyang may refer to: China *Hanyang District (漢陽區, 汉阳区, ''Hànyáng Qū''), Wuhan, Hubei :*Hanyang Arsenal (漢陽兵工廠), founded in 1891 as one of the oldest modern arsenals in Chinese history :*Hanyang 88 (漢陽八八式步槍), ...
(now
Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
) to
Haeju Haeju () is a city located in South Hwanghae Province near Haeju Bay in North Korea. It is the administrative centre of South Hwanghae Province. As of 2008, the population of the city is estimated to be 273,300. At the beginning of the 20th century ...
and later concealed his identity.


Leader of Donghak

At the age of 16, Kim took the
Gwageo The ''gwageo'' or ''kwago'' were the national civil service examinations under the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties of Korea. Typically quite demanding, these tests measured candidates' ability of writing composition and knowledge of the Chinese cla ...
(Imperial Examination) of
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 ...
but failed. He then joined the
Donghak Donghak (formerly spelled Tonghak; ) was an academic movement in Korean Neo-Confucianism founded in 1860 by Choe Je-u. The Donghak movement arose as a reaction to seohak (), and called for a return to the "Way of Heaven". While Donghak origin ...
rebellion against the government and foreign oppressions in 1893 and changed his name to Kim Changsoo (). As the organization grew rapidly, he was appointed the district leader of Palbong (팔봉) at the age of 17 and as a Donghak army regiment. Under the instruction of the Donghak leader Choi Si-hyung (최시형; 崔時亨), Kim's troops stormed the Haeju fort in Hwanghae-do, but the army was eventually defeated by governmental forces. He was then defeated by his companion, Lee Dong-yeop (이동엽) in the turf war of Donghak's organization. Royal Army General An Tae-hun (안태훈; 安泰勳 (the father of
Ahn Jung-geun Ahn Jung-geun, sometimes spelled Ahn Joong-keun (; 2 September 1879 – 26 March 1910; baptismal name: Thomas Ahn ), was a Korean-independence activist, nationalist, and pan-Asianist. He is famous for assassination of Itō Hirobumi, the first ...
, who would in 1909 assassinate the Japanese governor
Itō Hirobumi was a Japanese politician and statesman who served as the first Prime Minister of Japan. He was also a leading member of the ''genrō'', a group of senior statesmen that dictated Japanese policy during the Meiji era. A London-educated samu ...
) gave Kim's Donghak rebels a safe pass, but other government troops ignored it and attacked them. At 20, with I-eon Kim, whom he had met around the
Yalu River The Yalu River, known by Koreans as the Amrok River or Amnok River, is a river on the border between North Korea and China. Together with the Tumen River to its east, and a small portion of Paektu Mountain, the Yalu forms the border between ...
, Kim attacked the Royal Army unit holding the Gang-gye fort and was supported by the army of the
Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
allies. However, the attack failed, and he went into hiding.


Assassination of Josuke Tsuchida

In February 1896, Kim stayed at an inn in Chihapo,
Hwanghae 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 ...
Province, while he was traveling to southern regions. There, he found a Japanese man, Tsuchida Josuke (土田譲亮), who was a trader from Tsushima,
Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...
, and killed him>in the belief that he was a Japanese army lieutenant involved in the assassination of the queen. In his autobiography, 'Baekbeom Ilji' (백범일지, 白凡逸志, Baekbeom Journal), Kim described his motivation at the time as follows: The following morning, Kim attacked Tsuchida and killed him. The "Report from acting administrator Hagihara Moriichi of
Incheon Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...
Consulate on the current situation of Incheon" described Tsuchida as a "commoner from
Nagasaki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Nagasaki Prefecture has a population of 1,314,078 (1 June 2020) and has a geographic area of 4,130 Square kilometre, km2 (1,594 sq mi). Nagasaki Prefecture borders ...
" and an "employee of a Nagasaki trader on a business trip." However, Kim argued in his autobiography that Tsuchida was concealing a sword and had identification papers, which showed him to be a Japanese army lieutenant.


Jailbreak and educational activities

Kim was tortured and sentenced to death. According to ''Baekbeom Ilji'', however, many Korean people were sympathetic and admired him for his patriotism and bravery, since his execution was suspended by the order of Emperor Gwangmu; the Korean judicial officials behaved politely to him despite Japanese pressure to execute him promptly! and influential Koreans at the time, including major merchants of Incheon, made efforts to rescue him by repeated petitions to Korean Justice Department Officials and by collecting money for his ransom before his scheduled execution date. In prison, Kim had a chance to read newly-published textbooks about Western culture and science such as Taeseo Shinsa (태서신사; 泰西新史) and Saegye Jiji (세계지지; 世界地誌). He was deeply impressed by the strengths of the new Western science and recognized the importance of education for the Korean people. He started to teach about 100 illiterate fellow prisoners. The Korean newspaper Hwhangsung Shinbo (황성신보; 皇城新報) reported at the time that by teaching prisoners, Kim Chang Soo had changed the Incheon Prison into a school. In 1898, he broke out of prison and escaped into
Magoksa Magoksa is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism in Gongju, South Korea. It is located on the eastern slope of Taehwasan, on taegeuk-shaped bend in the Taegeukcheon Stream. History Magoksa Temple (Korean: 마곡사, Chinese: 麻 ...
, a Buddhist temple in
Gongju Gongju ([]; Gongju-si) is a city in South Chungcheong province, South Korea. History Gongju was formerly named Ungjin and was the capital of Baekje from AD 475 to 538. In this period, Baekje was under threat from Goguryeo. Goguryeo had overrun ...
,
Chungcheong Chungcheong (''Chungcheong-do''; ) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Chungcheong was located in the southwest of Korea. The provincial capital was located at Gongju, which had been the capital of the kingdom o ...
Province, and entered the Buddhist priesthood. A year later Kim, left the priesthood and returned to Hwanghae, where he devoted himself to the enlightenment and education of the Korean people by founding Jangyeon School (장연학교; 長淵學校) and the Yangsan School (양산학교; 楊山學校) in 1907, becoming the principal of the Yangsan School. In 1904, he married Choi Jun-rye (최준례; 崔遵禮) from
Sinchon Sinchon () is a region of South Korea surrounding Sinchon-dong, Changcheon-dong, Nogosan-dong and Daeheung-dong. It is known for its numerous universities including Yonsei University, Ewha Womans University, Sogang University, Hongik Universi ...
,
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 ...
.


Joins Korean independence movement

In 1905, the Eulsa Treaty was made between Japan and Korea and made Korea a protectorate of Japan. Kim participated in a mass protest against the treaty in Seoul and presented a memorial to Emperor Gwangmu to urge him to withdraw from the treaty. In 1908, Kim joined the
New People's Association The New People's Association, established in April 1906 was a clandestine organization for fostering the independence and national strength of the Korean Empire. The organization was formed by social activists such as Ahn Changho, Shin Chaeho, Par ...
, a national-level underground organization that had been established by
Ahn Changho Ahn Changho, sometimes An Chang-ho (; , November 9, 1878 – March 10, 1938) was a Korean independence activist and one of the early leaders of the Korean-American immigrant community in the United States. He is also referred to by his pen n ...
for nonviolent Korean independence movement. In 1910, the Japanese colonial government arrested An Myung-geun (안명근; 安明根) for plotting to assassinate Governor-General
Terauchi Masatake Gensui Count Terauchi Masatake ( ja, 寺内 正毅), GCB (5 February 1852 – 3 November 1919), was a Japanese military officer, proconsul and politician. He was a '' Gensui'' (or Marshal) in the Imperial Japanese Army and the Prime Minister o ...
. Kim, who was a close friend of An, was suspected of being an accomplice and arrested as well. Like other jailed suspects, Kim was severely tortured, but no evidence linking him to the assassination attempt was found, and he was released from prison after three years.
Doosan Encyclopedia
The term of imprisonment left Kim with damage to
cartilage Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints as articular cartilage, and is a structural component of many body parts including the rib cage, the neck an ...
and his left ear disfigured for life because he was beat by Japanese in the prison, and his calves had lready been permanently scarred in his earlier imprisonment torture for the killing of Tsuchida. At the time, Han Pil-ho (한필호; 韓弼昊), a member of Sinminhoe, was killed. Shin Suk-choong (신석충; 申錫忠) killed himself. An tried to commit suicide during the severe interrogation but failed. Kim also tried to kill himself with a self-inflicted injury in his head but failed. In prison, Kim changed his name from "Kim Changsoo" to "Kim Koo" and adopted the pen name of "Baekbeom" (백범, 白凡). Kim stated in his biography that the change of his name symbolized breaking free from Japanese nationality records and that he chose the pen name Baekbeom, which means "ordinary person" in the hope that every ordinary Korean person would fight for the independence of Korea.


Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea

Kim exiled himself to
Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, in 1919 after a nationwide non-violent resistance movement, known as 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 ...
, which was violently suppressed by the Japanese imperialist government. In Shanghai, Kim joined the
Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea The Korean Provisional Government (KPG), formally the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, was a partially recognized Korean government-in-exile based in Shanghai, China, and later in Chongqing, during the period of Japanese c ...
, which vowed to liberate Korea from Japanese occupation. After serving as the Police Minister, Kim became the president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in 1927. He was re-elected to the office many times by the Provisional Assembly. In 1931, he organized a nationalist group, the Korean Patriotic Corps. One of the members,
Yun Bong-gil Yun Bong-gil (21 June 1908 – 19 December 1932) was a Korean independence activist who set off a bomb that killed several Japanese dignitaries in Shanghai's Hongkew Park (now Lu Xun Park) in 1932. He was posthumously awarded the Republic of Kor ...
, ambushed and assassinated the Japanese military leadership in Shanghai on April 29, 1932. The commander of the Japanese Army and Navy died instantly. Another member,
Lee Bong-chang Lee Bong-chang (August 10, 1900 – October 10, 1932) was a Korean independence activist during the Japanese occupation of Korea. In 1932, he attempted unsuccessfully to assassinate Japanese emperor Hirohito with a hand grenade, which became known ...
, tried to assassinate Japanese Emperor Hirohito in Tokyo on January 8 of the same year but failed. After escaping to
Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...
, where
Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...
's Nationalist Government was established, Kim established the
Korean Liberation Army The Korean Liberation Army, also known as the Korean Restoration Army established on September 17, 1940, in Chungking, China, was the armed force of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. Its commandant was General Ji Cheong-cheon, ...
, which was commanded by General
Ji Cheong-cheon Ji Cheong-cheon (25 January 1888 – 15 January 1957), also known as Yi Cheong-cheon, was a Korean independence activist during the period of Japanese rule (1910–1945). He later became a South Korean politician. His name was originally ...
. When the
Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
broke out on December 8, 1941, Kim Koo declared war on Japan and Germany and committed the Korean Liberation Army to the Allies. The Korean Liberation Army took part in warfare in China and Southeast Asia. Kim arranged for the Korean Liberation Army to advance to Korea in 1945, but days before the departure of the leading unit, the war had ended.


After Korean Liberation

Kim returned to Korea upon the
surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ...
to the Allies in 1945. He was known as "the Assassin" and reportedly travelled with an entourage of gunmen and concubines. On December 27, 1945, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and China agreed to a trusteeship for the newly-liberated Korea. Kim was opposed to the trusteeship and to the 1947 creation of The Joint Soviet-American Commission. As the division of the newly-independent country under the trusteeship became obvious, he led a team of former independence activists to
Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...
to hold unification talks with
Kim Il-sung Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...
, who later became the Premier of North Korea in 1948. Talks deteriorated rapidly after Kim Gu had voiced his hostility toward the growing communist presence in North Korea. In 1948, the inaugural
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...
of
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
nominated Kim as a candidate for the office of the first president of the Republic. In the election by the National Assembly, Kim was defeated by
Rhee Syngman 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 ...
, the first president of the provisional government, who had been impeached in 1925 by a vote of 180–16. He lost the election for the vice presidency to Lee Si-yeong (이시영; 李始榮) by a vote of 133–59. Kim did not know about his nomination until after the election. He did not approve the nomination since he considered it a ploy to discredit him. Kim would never have participated in the election, as he fiercely opposed the establishment of separate governments in North and South Korea.


Death and legacy

On June 26, 1949, Kim was assassinated by Lieutenant
Ahn Doo-hee Ahn Doo-hee (alternative spelling: Ahn Doo-whi) (24 March 1917 in Ryūsen-gun, Heianhoku-dō, Chōsen – 23 October 1996) was a Korean lieutenant who carried out the assassination of independence activist Korean leader Kim Koo on 26 June ...
, who burst in and shot him four times while Kim was at home and reading poetry. Ahn stated that he had killed Kim because he saw him as an agent of the Soviet Union. On April 13, 1992, a confession by Ahn was published by the Korean newspaper ''
Dongah Ilbo The ''Dong-A Ilbo'' (, literally ''East Asia Daily'') is a newspaper of record in Korea since 1920 with a daily circulation of more than 1.2 million and opinion leaders as its main readers. ''The Dong-A Ilbo'' is the parent company of Dong-A ...
''. Kim Il Sung claimed in 1949 that Kim Gu had been "murdered by the Syngman Rhee clique." In his confession, Ahn claimed that the assassination had been ordered by
Kim Chang-ryong Kim Chang-ryong (July 18, 1920 – January 30, 1956) was a high-ranking officer in the Republic of Korea Army, the head of the Korean Counter Intelligence Corps, and South Korean President Syngman Rhee's most trusted right-hand man. He was assas ...
, who served as the head of Rhee's national security. Ahn was murdered by Park Gi-sheo (박기서; 朴琦緖), a follower of Kim Gu, in 1996. According to
Bruce Cumings Bruce Cumings (born September 5, 1943) is an American historian of East Asia, professor, lecturer and author. He is the Gustavus F. and Ann M. Swift Distinguished Service Professor in History, and the former chair of the history department at ...
's 1981 books, another possible motive for the assassination was Kim Gu's alleged connection to the assassination of
Song Jin-woo Song Jin-woo (Hangul: 송진우, Hanja: 宋津宇; born February 16, 1966) is a retired South Korean left-handed pitcher who played for the Hanwha Eagles his entire career. Song played in the KBO League for 21 seasons between and . He current ...
, a leader of the Korean Democratic Party (KDP), who had chosen to work closely with the American military government. In 2001, declassified documents revealed that Ahn had been working for the US Counter-Intelligence Corps, leading to suggestions of American involvement in the assassination. However, some have questioned the evidence for those accusations. Kim was posthumously awarded the Republic of Korea Medal of
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 ...
, the most prestigious civil decoration in the Republic of Korea, as well as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's
National Reunification Prize The National Reunification Prize () is an award of North Korea, bestowed by the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly upon people who have contributed to the reunification of Korea. The award was instituted in 1990. Recipients * An Ji-sae ...
. His autobiography, Baekbeomilji (Journal of Baekbeom, 백범일지) is an important source for study of history of
Korean independence movement The Korean independence movement was a military and diplomatic campaign to achieve the independence of Korea from Empire of Japan, Japan. After the Japanese Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910, annexation of Korea in 1910, Korea's domestic resistance pe ...
and has been designated as cultural treasure No. 1245 by the Korean government.
Korean Cultural Heritage Information Center
A steady bestseller in Korea, the autobiography was first published in 1947 and republished in more than 10 versions in Korea and abroad.


Legacy

Kim has been constantly regarded as one of the greatest figures in Korean history. For example, he was voted in a 2004 online poll as the greatest leader after the restoration of Korean independence
2004 online poll
and in 2005 as the most revered figure by Korean National Assemblymen.
2005 survey by Dongailbo
In 2007 national surveys, Kim received the most votes as the Korean historic figure whose portrait should be featured in new Korean banknotes, which were to be issued in 2009.
2007 survey by CBS

2007 survey by Maeil Business
On November 5, 2007, the
Bank of Korea The Bank of Korea (BOK; ) is the central bank of the Republic of Korea and issuer of Korean Republic won. It was established on 12 June 1950 in Seoul, South Korea. The bank's primary purpose is price stability. For that, the bank targets in ...
, the national central bank of the Republic of Korea, announced the new 100,000 Korean won bill would feature Kim's portrait.
Yonhap News Article
However, the issuing of the new bill was delayed indefinitely as of 2009 for fear that issuing the bill would cause an inflation.


Family

Kim's second son, Kim Shin (김신; 金信; b. 1922), was a founding member of
Republic of Korea Air Force The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF; ko, 대한민국 공군; RR: ''Daehanminguk Gong-gun''), also known as the ROK Air Force or South Korean Air Force, is the aerial warfare service branch of South Korea, operating under the Ministry of N ...
, the Chief of Korean Air Force, member of the National Assembly, and the Minister of Transportation, and later the Director of Kim Koo Museum and Library. Two great-grandsons would follow the latter's footsteps and complete their mandatory military service in the Air Force. Kim Yong-man (김용만; 金容萬; b. 1987) appointed
second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
of Korean Air Force, and in 2011, Kim Dong-man (김동만; 金東萬; b. 1987) was also appointed second lieutenant of Korean Air Force. Kim Dong-man is the son of Kim Shin's daughter Kim Mi and Kim Ho-yeon, former chairman of Binggrae Co. Ltd. and second son of
Hanwha Group , former_name = Korea Explosives Group , type = Public , traded_as = , industry = Conglomorate , founded = , founder = Kim Chong-hee , hq_location_city = Seoul , hq_location_country = South Korea , area_served = Global , key_people = K ...
founder Kim Chong-hee. Kim Koo's grandson, Kim Yang (김양; 金揚; b. 1953), was appointed as the Korean Consulate General in Shanghai, China, in 2005 and as the Minister of Patriots and Veteran Affairs of Korea (국가보훈처; 國家報勳處) in 2008.


"My Desire"

At the end of his autobiography, ''Baekbeomilji'', Kim expressed his desire with which he carried all his lifetime: : If God asked me what was my wish, I would reply unhesitatingly, "Korean independence." : If he asked me what was my second wish, I would again answer, "My country's independence." : If he asked me what was my third wish, I would reply in an even louder voice, "My wish is the complete independence of my country, Korea." : My fellow brethren. This is my only wish. I have lived seventy years of my life for this wish, am living my life for this wish, and will live my life only to fulfill this wish. :...Recently, some of our brothers have said that they wanted our nation to be a part of a federation of another country. I don't believe this, and if there is really someone who does, I can only say that he is crazy and has lost his mind. :I've studied the ideas of Confucius, Buddha, and Jesus; I respect them as saints, but even if there's a heaven made by them, it's not a nation created by our nation, and I will never take our nation there. :It is because, a nation which shared blood and history is clear, and just like my body can't be another's, the reason that a certain nation can't become another is the same as brothers living in the same house. If two gather and become one, one would be higher and the other lower, so it becomes a basic problem that one orders from above, and the other obeys from below. :And so-called leftists deny the motherland of blood, and say this and that about the so-called motherland of ideology, ignoring brothers of blood-ties, and claims the so-called comrade of ideology and international class of proletariat, and speak as if nationalism is outside the truth. :This is foolish thinking. Philosophies change and theories of politics and economics are only a snap, but a nation's success is everlasting. :... I want our nation to be the most beautiful in the world. By this I do not mean the most powerful nation. Because I have felt the pain of being invaded by another nation, I do not want my nation to invade others. It is sufficient that our wealth makes our lives abundant; it is sufficient that our strength is able to prevent foreign invasions. The only thing that I desire in infinite quantity is the power of a noble culture. This is because the power of culture both makes ourselves happy and gives happiness to others.


Writings

* "Baekbeom Ilji" (백범일지; 白凡逸志) * "Dowae Silgi" (도왜실기; 屠倭實記)


In popular culture

* Portrayed by
Kim Sang-joong Kim Sang-joong (born August 6, 1965) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for starring in the television dramas '' My Husband's Woman'' (2007), ''City Hunter'' (2011), and ''The Chaser'' (2012). He won the Grand Prize at the MBC Drama Awar ...
and Jo Sang-geon in the 1995 KBS1 TV series ''Kim Gu''. * Portrayed by Lee Young-hoo in the 2010 KBS1 TV series '' Freedom Fighter, Lee Hoe-young''. * Portrayed by Kim Hong-pa in the 2015 film ''
Assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...
''. * Portrayed by Cho Jin-woong in the 2017 film ''
Man of Will ''Man of Will'' is a 2017 South Korean biographical film directed by Lee Won-tae, starring Cho Jin-woong and Song Seung-heon. The film was based on a novel and portrays roughly two years of the life of Korean independence activist Kim Gu, wh ...
''.


See also

*
Provisional Government of Republic of Korea The Korean Provisional Government (KPG), formally the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, was a partially recognized Korean government-in-exile based in Shanghai, China, and later in Chongqing, during the period of Japanese ...
*
Korean independence movement The Korean independence movement was a military and diplomatic campaign to achieve the independence of Korea from Empire of Japan, Japan. After the Japanese Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910, annexation of Korea in 1910, Korea's domestic resistance pe ...
*
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 Kyu-sik Kim Kyu-sik, also spelled Kimm Kiusic (Korean language, Korean:김규식, Hanja:金奎植, January 29, 1881 – December 10, 1950), was a Korean politician and academic during the Korean independence movement and a leader of the Provisional Go ...
*
Yoon Bong-Gil Yun Bong-gil (21 June 1908 – 19 December 1932) was a Korean independence activist who set off a bomb that killed several Japanese dignitaries in Shanghai's Hongkew Park (now Lu Xun Park) in 1932. He was posthumously awarded the Republic of Kor ...
*
Lee Bong-Chang Lee Bong-chang (August 10, 1900 – October 10, 1932) was a Korean independence activist during the Japanese occupation of Korea. In 1932, he attempted unsuccessfully to assassinate Japanese emperor Hirohito with a hand grenade, which became known ...
* Kim Wonbong *
Kim Ja-jeom Kim Ja-jeom (; 1588 – January 27, 1652) was a Korean scholar-official of the Joseon dynasty period and Ming-Qing transition. He was one of the disciples of Seong Hon and came from the Andong Kim clan. He was Joseon's Chief State Councillo ...
* Kim Koo Museum


Bibliography

* Doh Jin-Soon (ed.): ''Kim Koo - Das Tagebuch von Baekbeom'', Hamburg: Abera Verlag 2005. . German version of ''Baekbeomilji'' (''Journal of Baekbeom''). * Kim, Koo (1997). ''Baekbeomilji ournal of Baekbeom'. Seoul, Korea: Dolbaegae. * Yamabe, K. (1966). ''Japanese Occupation of Korea''. Tokyo, Japan: Taihei Shuppan-sha.


Notes


References


External links


Kim Koo Museum & LibraryKim Koo Memorial Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Gu 1876 births 1949 deaths People from Haeju Korean politicians Korean independence activists Korean nationalists Assassinated Korean politicians Assassinated South Korean people Conservatism in South Korea People murdered in Korea Korean revolutionaries South Korean anti-communists South Korean Methodists Converts to Protestantism from Buddhism Korean educators Recipients of the National Reunification Prize Gim clan of Andong Korean murderers