Kim Gu
6th President of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
In office 1927 – August 15, 1948
Vice President	Kim Kyu-sik
Preceded by	Yi Dong-nyung
Succeeded by	Syngman Rhee
Born	August 29, 1876(1876-08-29) Hwanghae, Korea
Died	June 26, 1949 (aged 72) Seoul, Korea
Nationality	Korean
Political party	Korean Independence Party

Kim Gu (김구 金九, August 29, 1876 – June 26, 1949), the sixth and last president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, was a leader of Korean independence movement against the Japanese occupation of Korea that lasted from 1910 to 1945 and a reunification activist who had struggled for the independent reunification of Korea since its national division in 1945. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was a government in exile based in Shanghai, China and later in Chongqing, during the Japanese occupation of Korea. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the day of the year. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kim Kyu-shik, also spelled Kim Gyu-sik (January 29, 1881 - December 10, 1950), was a leader in the Korean independence movement and the early history of South Korea. ... Yi Dong-nyung was a Korean Liberation Activist. ... This is a Korean name; the family name is Rhee Syngman Rhee or Lee Seungman or Yee Sung-man (March 26, 1875 – July 19, 1965) was the first president of South Korea. ... is the 241st day of the year (242nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) // January 31 - United States orders all Indigenous peoples in the United States to move onto reservations February 2 - The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs of Major League Baseball is formed. ... Hwanghae (Hwanghae-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty, and one of the thirteen provinces of Korea during the Japanese Colonial Period. ... This article is about the Korean civilization. ... is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... This article is about the Korean civilization. ... Jamo redirects here. ... Korean writing systems Hangul Hanja Hyangchal Gugyeol Idu Mixed script Korean romanization Revised Romanization of Korean McCune-Reischauer Yale Romanization Hanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. ... Korean writing systems Hangul Hanja Hyangchal Gugyeol Idu Mixed script Korean romanization Revised Romanization of Korean McCune-Reischauer Yale Romanization The Revised Romanization of Korean is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea. ... McCune-Reischauer romanization is one of the two most widely used Korean language romanization systems, along with the Revised Romanization of Korean, which replaced (a modified) McCune-Reischauer as the official romanization system in South Korea in 2000. ... is the 241st day of the year (242nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) // January 31 - United States orders all Indigenous peoples in the United States to move onto reservations February 2 - The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs of Major League Baseball is formed. ... is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was a government in exile based in Shanghai, China and later in Chongqing, during the Japanese occupation of Korea. ... The nature of the search for Korean independence under the repressive Japanese occupation period (1890-1945) has a particularly complicated and diverse history. ... Flag Anthem Kimigayo¹ Korea under Japanese rule - 일제 강점기 Capital Seoul Language(s) Korean, Japanese Religion Shintō¹ Government Occupied state Emperor of Japan ¹  - 1910–1912 Emperor Meiji  - 1912–1925 Emperor Taisho  - 1925–1945 Emperor Showa Governor-General  - 1910–1916 (first) Count Masatake Terauchi  - 1944–1945 (last) Nobuyuki Abe Legislature Assembly of Councilors... Korean reunification is a possible future reunification of North Korea and South Korea under a single government. ... The Korean peninsula, first divided along the 38th parallel, later along the demarcation line The division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending Japans 35-year occupation of Korea. ...

Also known by his pen name Baek Beom (백범 白凡), he has been constantly regarded as one of the greatest figures in Korean history.

Early Accounts

Kim Gu was born on August 29(Chinese Calendar July 11), 1876 at Teot-gol, Baek-un-bang, Haeju, South Hwanghae Province, Korea, the lone son of poor farmer Kim Soonyoung and his wife Kwak Nackwon. His name at birth was Kim Changahm (김창암 金昌巖). When he was nine years old, he studied both hangul and hanja and he learned Chinese classic texts (Zizhi Tongjian, Great Learning, Shi of Tang Dynasty) at a seodang(a traditional village primary school). At 17, he applied for the Imperial examination of Joseon but failed. He joined the Donghak (동학 東學) movement in 1893 and changed his name to Kim Changsoo (김창수 金昌洙). As the organization grew rapidly, he was appointed the district leader of Palbong who led hundreds of subordinates a year later, at the age of 18. He commanded a Donghak army regiment in the 1894 Donghak Peasant Revolution. Following the instruction of his leader Choi Si Hyung, his troops stormed the Haeju fort in Hwanghae-do. However, his army was defeated by governmental forces. After that, he was defeated by his companion, Lee Dong-yeop in the turf war of Donghak’s organization. Thereafter, General An Tae-hun (father of An Jung-geun the assassin of Ito Hirobumi) of the royal army gave Kim Gu's Donghak rebels a safe pass, but other government troops ignored An's safe pass and attacked them. At 20, with Kim I-eon whom he had met around Yalu River, he would attack royal army of Gang-gye fort, being supported by Qing Dynasty's army. But he failed and went into hiding. The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, incorporating elements of a lunar calendar with those of a solar calendar. ... Haeju (Hanja: 海州) is a city in North Korea located in South Hwanghae Province near Haeju Bay. ... South Hwanghae (Hwanghae-namdo) is a province of North Korea. ... This article is about the Korean civilization. ... Jamo redirects here. ... Korean writing systems Hangul Hanja Hyangchal Gugyeol Idu Mixed script Korean romanization Revised Romanization of Korean McCune-Reischauer Yale Romanization Hanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. ... Chinese classic texts or Chinese canonical texts are the classical literature in Chinese culture that are considered to be the best or the most valuable. ... Zizhi Tongjian (traditional Chinese character: 資治通鑑; simplified Chinese character: 资治通鉴; pinyin Zīzhì Tōngjìan, Wade-Giles Tzu-chih tung-chien) is known to be a important Chinese history text of annual chronology. ... The Great Learning (Chinese: 大學, pinyin: Dà Xué) is the first of the Four books which were selected by Zhu Xi in the Song Dynasty as a foundational introduction to Confucianism. ... Shi (è©©) is the Chinese word for poem; it can also be used to mean Chinese poetry other than lyrics, or (most commonly) the classical form of poetry developed in the late Han dynasty and which reached its zenith in the Tang dynasty. ... For the band, see Tang Dynasty (band). ... Seodang were private village schools providing elementary education during the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties of Korea. ... The Imperial examinations (Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) in Imperial China determined who among the population would be permitted to enter the states bureaucracy. ... Joseon redirects here. ... This article needs cleanup. ... It has been suggested that Donghak Rebellion be merged into this article or section. ... The Amnok River, or the Yalu River, is a river on the border between China and North Korea. ... Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Qing China at its greatest extent. ...

Assassination of Josuke Tsuchida

On October 8, 1895, Empress Myeongseong (Queen Min), the wife of Emperor Gwangmu (King Gojong) of the Korean Empire was assassinated by a group of Japanese assassins (the Eulmi Incident). In February 1886, Kim assassinated Josuke Tsuchida (土田譲亮) for being involved in the murder of the queen in Chihapo, Hwanghae Province. The resulting "Report from acting administrator Hagihara Moriichi of Incheon Consulate on the current situation of Incheon" (在仁川領事館事務代理萩原守一ヨリ仁川港ノ情況ニ付続報ノ件, April 24, 1896) describes Tsuchida as a "commoner from Nagasaki Prefecture" (p. 6, "長崎縣平民土田譲亮") and an "employee of a Nagasaki trader on a business trip"(p. 7, "貿易商大久保機一の雇人")^[1]. However, this does not prove that Tsuchida was not involved in the assassination of the Empress Myeongseong, as this assassination was carried out by not only Japanese soldiers but also many Japanese Ronins as described in the report by Ezo Ishizuka (石塚英藏), the Japanese consultant to the Korean Empire at the time^[2]. In addition, Kim stated in his biography 'Baekbeom Ilji' (白凡逸志) that Tsuchida was carrying a sword and had identification papers that showed him to be a Japanese army lieutenant^[3]. Official Japanese interrogation police records from also verify the fact that Tsuchida was carrying around a sword.^[4] Empress Myeongseong (October 19, 1851 – October 8, 1895), was the first official wife of King Gojong, the 26th king of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. ... Gojong, the Gwangmu Emperor (July 25, 1852–January 21, 1919) was the twenty-sixth king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty and the first emperor of the Korean Empire. ... Hwanghae (Hwanghae-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty, and one of the thirteen provinces of Korea during the Japanese Colonial Period. ... This article is about the city. ... Oranda-zaka (Dutch Slope) in Nagasaki Castle in Shimabara The island of Hirado boasts a fine castle Nagasaki Prefecture (長崎県; Nagasaki-ken) is located on Kyushu island, Japan. ... Graves of the forty-seven Ronin at Sengaku-ji Ronin robbing a merchants house in Japan around 1860 (1) For other uses, see Ronin (disambiguation). ...

After the killing, Kim left a hand-written document which said "Kim Changsoo from Haeju, Hwanghae Province, killed this Japanese man to revenge the murder of Korean Queen", as documented in Baekbeom Ilji. Kim was immediately arrested and sentenced to the death penalty, but his execution was suspended by the order from Emperor Gwangmu. In 1898 he broke out of prison and escaped into Magoksa, a Buddhist temple in Gongju, Chungcheong province. Gongju (Gongju-si) is a city in South Chungcheong province, South Korea. ... Chungcheong (Chungcheong-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ...

Joining Korean independence movement

After returning to Hwanghae, Kim founded several schools in the area between 1903 and 1908 and devoted himself to enlightenment and education of Korean people. In 1904, he married Choi Junrye from Sincheon, Hwanghae Province. In 1905, the Eulsa Treaty was made between Japan and Korea, making Korea a protectorate of Japan. Kim participated in mass protest against the treaty in Seoul and presented a memorial to Emperor Gwangmu urging him to withdraw from the treaty. In 1908, Kim joined Shinminhoi (신민회, 新民會), a national-level underground organization established by Ahn Chang Ho for nonviolent Korean independence movement. Through the Eulsa Treaty of 17 November 1905, the Korean Empire ceded foreign diplomacy to the Japanese Empire, became a protectorate of Japan, and in effect ceded its national sovereignty to Japan. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... Dosan Ahn Chang-Ho (안창호 November 9, 1878 - March 10, 1938) was a Korean independence activist and one of the early leaders of the Korean immigrant community in the United States. ...

In 1910, the Japanese colonial government arrested An Myung Geun, a cousin of An Jung-Geun, for plotting to assassinate Governor-General Terauchi Masatake. Kim, who was a close friend of Ahn, was suspected to be an accomplice and arrested as well. Kim was jailed and severely tortured, but no evidence linking him to the assassination attempt was found, and he was released from prison after 3 years.^[5] In the prison, Kim changed his name from Kim Changsoo (김창수) to Kim Gu (김구) 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", hoping every ordinary Korean person would fight for the independence of Korea. An Jung-geun as a Korean Soldier Ahn Jung-geun or An Jung-geun (September 2, 1879 - March 26, 1910) (Christian name: Thomas) was the Korean independence activist who is best known for assassination of the Japanese military governor of Korea, Ito Hirobumi, during Japanese colonial occupation of Korea. ... Field Marshal Count Masatake Terauchi ) (5 February 1852 –3 November 1919) was Field Marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and the 18th Prime Minister of Japan from 9 October 1916 to 29 September 1918. ...

Shanghai Provisional Government

Kim exiled himself to Shanghai, China in 1919 after a nationwide non-violent resistance movement, known as the March 1st Movement, was violently suppressed by the Japanese imperialist government. In Shanghai, Kim joined the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, 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. For other uses, see Shanghai (disambiguation). ... The March First Movement, or the Samil Movement, was one of the earliest displays of Korean nationalism during the Japanese rule. ... The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was a government in exile based in Shanghai, China and later in Chongqing, during the Japanese occupation of Korea. ...

In 1931 he organized a nationalist group, Korea Patriotic Legion. One of the members, Yoon Bong-Gil, ambushed and eliminated the Japanese military leadership in Shanghai on April 29, 1932. The commander of the Japanese Army and Navy died instantly. It was a great victory for the Korean cause. Another member, Lee Bong-chang, tried to eliminate the Japanese emperor Hirohito in Tokyo on January 8 of the same year. After escaping to Chongqing where Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist Government was established, Kim established the Korean Liberation Army, commanded by General Ji Cheong-cheon. When the Pacific War broke out on December 8, 1941, Kim Gu declared war on Japan and Germany, and committed the Korean Liberation Army to the Allied side, which took part in warfare in China and Southeast Asia. Kim organised for the Korean Liberation Army to advance to Korea in 1945, but days before the departure of the leading unit, the war ended. Yoon Bong-Gil (21 June 1908, Yesan, Korea - 19 December 1932 Kanazawa, Japan) was a member of the Korean resistance movement fighting the Japanese occupation of Korea. ... is the 119th day of the year (120th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Emperor Shōwa ) (April 29, 1901 – January 7, 1989) was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order reigning from December 25, 1926 until his death in 1989. ... is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Chongqing (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Postal map spelling: Chungking; Wade-Giles: Chung-ching) is the largest and most populous of the Peoples Republic of Chinas four provincial-level municipalities, and the only one in the less densely populated western half of China. ... Chiang Kai-shek (October 31, 1887 – April 5, 1975) was the Chinese military and political leader who assumed the leadership of the Kuomintang (KMT) after the death of Sun Yat-sen in 1925. ... The Korean Liberation Army was the armed force of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, and was created on September 17, 1941 in Chongqing, China. ... For other uses, see Pacific War (disambiguation). ... is the 342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ...

After Korean Liberation

He returned to Seoul upon the Japanese surrender to the Allies in 1945. Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... The Japanese representatives, Mamoru Shigemitsu and Yoshijiro Umezu, on board USS Missouri during the surrender ceremonies on 2 September 1945. ...

As the division of the newly-independent country became obvious, he led a team of former independence activists to Pyongyang to hold unification talks with Kim Il-sung (who later became the president of North Korea), but failed drastically after being humiliated by Kim Il-Sung. Not to be confused with PyeongChang. ... Kim Il-sung (15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was the leader of North Korea from its founding in early 1948 until his death, when he was succeeded by his son Kim Jong-il. ...

In 1948, the inaugural National Assembly of South Korea 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 Syngman Rhee, the first president of the provisional government who was impeached in 1925, by a vote of 180-16. He also lost the election for vice presidency to Lee Si-young by a vote of 133-59. Kim himself didn't know about his nominations until after the election, and he did not approve the nomination, considering it a ploy to discredit him. The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      The National Assembly is either a legislature, or the lower house of a bicameral legislature in some countries. ... This is a Korean name; the family name is Rhee Syngman Rhee or Lee Seungman or Yee Sung-man (March 26, 1875 – July 19, 1965) was the first president of South Korea. ...

Death and Legacy

Statue of Kim Gu at Namsan park in Seoul, South Korea

In 1949 Kim was assassinated by Ahn Doo-hee in his office. Although some suggest there may have been a right-wing conspiracy to assassinate him in which even president Rhee and the CIA could have been involved, no details of the assassination have been revealed. Moreover, Ahn Doo-hee was murdered by Kim's follower in 1996 after he allegedly confessed Kim Chang-ryong was the mastermind of the assassination, thus further obscuring the prospect of finding the motive of assassination. Ahn Doo-hee (or Ahn Doo-whi) was a lieutenant in the US Counter-intelligence Corps in Korea. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Kim Chang-ryong, born around 1920, was Rhee Syngmans right hand man. ...

He was posthumously awarded the Republic of Korea Medal of Order of Merit for National Foundation, the most prestigious civil decoration in the Republic of Korea. His autobiography, Baekbeomilji (Journal of Baekbeom, 백범일지) is an important source for study of history of Korean independence movement and has been designated as a cultural treasure No. 1245 by Korean government.^[6] A steady seller in Korea, the autobiography was first published in 1947 and republished in more than 10 versions in Korea and abroad.^[6] The nature of the search for Korean independence under the repressive Japanese occupation period (1890-1945) has a particularly complicated and diverse history. ...

He 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^[7] and in 2005 as the most revered figure by Korean National Assemblymen.^[8] In 2007 national surveys, Kim received the most vote as the Korean historic figure whose portrait should be featured in new Korean banknotes that will be issued in 2009. ^[9][10] On November 5, 2007, the Bank of Korea, the national central bank of the Republic of Korea, announced the new 100,000 Korean won bill would feature Kim's portrait. ^[11] Bank of Korea is the national central bank of the Republic of Korea (South Korea). ...

His second son, Kim Shin (1922-), was a founding member of Republic of Korea Air Force, the Chief of Korean Air Force, a National Assemblyperson, and the Minister of Transportation, and is currently the Director of Kim Koo Museum and Library. His grandson, Kim Yang (1953-), was appointed as the Korean Consulate General in Shanghai, China in 2005 and as the Minister of Patriots and Veteran Affairs of Korea in 2008.

'My desire'

In his autobiography Baekbeomilji, Kim expressed his desire with which he carried all his life time:

If God asked me what was my wish, I would reply unhesitatingly, "Korean independence."

If He asked me what was my next wish, I would again answer, "Our nation's independence."

If He asked me the same question for the third time, I would reply in an even louder voice, "My wish is our Great Korean Nation's Complete Independence."

...Recenty, some of our brothers say they want our nation to be a part of a federation of another country, I don't believe this, and if there is really someone who really does, I can only say that he is crazy and 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 share the blood and history is clear and just like my body can't be other's, the reason that a certain nation can't become other is as same as even brothers living in same house. If two gathers and becomes one, one would be higher and other lower, so it becomes a basic problem that one orders from above, and other obeys from below.

And so-called leftists denies the motherland of blood, and say such and such of so-called motherland of ideology, ignores brothers of blood-ties, and claims the so-called comrade of ideology and international class of proletariat, and speak as if nationalism is outside of truth.

This is foolish thinking. Philosophy change and theories of politics and economics are only a snap, but nation's success is everlasting.

...I want our nation to become the most beautiful nation in the world. I do not want our nation to become the richest and powerful nation in the world. 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 is such that it makes our lives abundant and our military strength such that it is able to repel others' invasion. The only thing that I desire in infinite quantity is the power of a highly-developed culture. This is because the power of culture both makes ourselves happy and gives happiness to others.

See also

• Korean independence movement
• List of Korea-related topics

The nature of the search for Korean independence under the repressive Japanese occupation period (1890-1945) has a particularly complicated and diverse history. ... This is a list of Wikipedia articles on Korea-related people, places, things, and concepts. ...

References

• Doh Jin-Soon (ed.): Kim Koo - Das Tagebuch von Baekbeom. Hamburg: Abera Verlag 2005. ISBN 3-934376-70-3. German version of Baekbeomilji (Journal of Baekbeom).
• Koo, K. (1997). Baekbeomilji [Journal of Baekbeom]. Seoul, Korea: Dolbaegae.ISBN 8971990996
• Yamabe, K. (1966). Japanese Occupation of Korea. Tokyo, Japan: Taihei Shuppan-sha. ISBN 4803127085

Notes

1. ^ Japan Center for Asian Historical Records Reference code: A04010024500
2. ^ "山邊健太郞", Kentaro Yamabe (1966, p.223)
3. ^ 새國史事典(New Encyclopedia of Korean History) (Seoul:Gyohaksa, 1983, ISBN 8909005068)
4. ^ ¿¡·¯°¡ ¹ß»ýÇÏ¿´½À´Ï´Ù
5. ^ [1] Doosan Encyclopedia
6. ^ ^{a b} [2] Korean Cultural Heritage Information Center
7. ^ [3] 2004 online poll
8. ^ [4] 2005 survey by Dongailbo
9. ^ [5] 2007 survey by CBS
10. ^ [6] 2007 survey by Maeil Business
11. ^ [7] Yonhap News Article

External links

• Kim Koo Museum & Library
• I Love Kim Koo - A Korean Web site dedicated to Kim Koo, sponsored by the Kim Koo Foundation

Yi Dong-nyung was a Korean Liberation Activist. ... The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was a government in exile based in Shanghai, China and later in Chongqing, during the Japanese occupation of Korea. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a Korean name; the family name is Rhee Syngman Rhee or Lee Seungman or Yee Sung-man (March 26, 1875 – July 19, 1965) was the first president of South Korea. ...

	Presidents of South Korea
Provisional Government: Rhee Syng-man | Park Eunsik | Yi Sang-ryong | Hong Jin | Yi Dong-nyung | Kim Gu Republic: Rhee Syng-man | Yun Bo-seon | Park Chung-hee | Choi Kyu-hah | Chun Doo-hwan | Roh Tae-woo | Kim Young-sam | Kim Dae-jung | Roh Moo-hyun | Lee Myung-bak