Kim Ok-gyun (김옥균; 金玉均; February 23, 1851 – March 28, 1894) was a reformist (''Gaehwapa'', 개화파) activist during the late

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 r ...

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 ...

. He served under the

national civil service The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

under King Gojong, and actively participated to advance Western ideas and sciences in Korea. The goal of the reform movement was to develop Korea in government, technology, and military by using foreign resources to help Korea become stable enough to withstand anticipated increases in foreign encroachment. Kim was assassinated in

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four Direct-administered municipalities of China, direct-administered municipalities of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the ...

, and later was given the posthumous title "Chungdal".

Early life

Kim was born into 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 ...

to Kim Byung-tae and his wife, Lady Song of the

Eunjin Song clan Eunjin Song clan () is one of the Korean clans. Their ''Bon-gwan'' is in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province. According to the research in 2015, the number of Eunjin Song clan was 226,050. Their founder was who was a descendant of Song Ju eun. ...

, on 23 February 1851 in

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 ...

. Through his father, Kim is related to Kim Sang-yong, the older brother of

Queen Sunwon Queen Sunwon (순원왕후; 8 June 1789 – 21 September 1857), of the Andong Kim clan was the queen consort and wife of Sunjo of Joseon. She was known as Queen Dowager Myeonggyeong (명경왕대비) after her husband's death in 1834. She served ...

’s 6th great-grandfather, Kim Sang-gwan. His family was poor, and, by the age of four, they moved to

Cheonan Cheonan (; 천안시, ''Cheonan-si''), also spelled Ch'ŏnan, is a city in South Chungcheong, South Korea. Cheonan has a population of 666,417 (2018), making it the most-populous city or county in South Chungcheong, and the third most-populous c ...

. His father opened a

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 ...

, or Korean verbal school, at which Kim was educated. When he was six, he was adopted by Kim Byung-gi, a distant relative who had lost his son and was desperate to secure the continuation of his family lineage. For four years, Kim stayed in what is today

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...

and, when Kim Byung-gi was named the governor in

Gangneung Gangneung () is a municipal city in the province of Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 213,658 (as of 2017).Gangneung City (2003)Population & Households. Retrieved January 14, 2006. Gangneung is the economic ...

state in spring of 1861, they moved once again. When Kim reached the age of fifteen, Kim Byunggye was named "Beopmubu Chagwan" in the judicial office, and his family returned to Seoul. There, Kim learned and competed with the sons of other aristocratic families. He displayed his talents in playing the

Kayakem The ''gayageum'' or ''kayagum'' (in Korean 가야금, 伽倻琴 in Chinese characters) is a traditional Korean plucked zither with 12 strings, though some more recent variants have 18, 21 or 25 strings. It is probably the best known traditional ...

singing Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music ( arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or ...

and

dancing Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoi ...

poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meani ...

calligraphy Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined ...

, and art. His fame and talents eventually reached the imperial palace, and Queen Dowager invited him. At the age of 22, Kim took the

exam, and was ranked "Jang-won Geub-jae" (level 6) (usually it took about ten years to achieve this status). To avoid the possible negative impacts of the internal political conflicts that could result on his adopted son, Kim Byung-gi retired from his holding.

Revolutionary efforts

At the time,

Heungseon Daewongun Heungseon Daewongun (흥선대원군, 興宣大院君, 21 December 1820 – 22 February 1898; ), also known as the Daewongun (대원군, 大院君), Guktaegong (국태공, 國太公, "The Great Archduke") or formally Internal King Heungseon Heon ...

, who had implemented policies to avoid contact with the

West West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

then for ten years, lost political power. Although trade with the West began and foreign policies were adopted, the situation worsened, and Kim meddled in the internal conflicts in the palace.

Dongnipdang

Kim was for more open policies to the West so that Korea might adopt Western ideals, knowledge, and technology thereby securing its existence. During his national civil service, Kim found many others who agreed with him, and they formed the ''Dongnipdang'', or "Independence Party." Among their various contacts, the group met a Buddhist monk at

Bongwonsa Bongwon Temple (or Bongwonsa) is a South Korean Buddhist temple in Bongwon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, near Yonsei University. Situated to the northeast of the university on the hillside of Ahn Mountain, this is the head temple of the Taego Order ...

, who showed them a peculiar European device. It was a projector that displayed different photographs of the West, such as the streets of

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and a

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

soldier. He also showed a Japanese book that contained scenes of foreign nations. The activists asked the monk to obtain more Western artifacts for them. The monk then spent two months journeying to and from

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 n ...

bringing more Western products. These had to be kept hidden due to the policies of the time which prohibited foreign contact.

First plan

After the conflict with the

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...

and the implementation of the

Treaty of Ganghwa A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal perso ...

, which Kim was against, Kim realized that Japan, regarded by the Korean government as a barbaric nation, had westernized and become a much stronger country. Therefore, Kim wished to visit Japan to learn how the Japanese had westernized. In November 1881, Kim was granted permission to visit Japan under the mission of finding out whether Japan was planning to invade Korea. After arriving in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

, he met with various influential Japanese politicians during his stay, and was sponsored by

Fukuzawa Yukichi was a Japanese educator, philosopher, writer, entrepreneur and samurai who founded Keio University, the newspaper '' Jiji-Shinpō'', and the Institute for Study of Infectious Diseases. Fukuzawa was an early advocate for reform in Japan. Hi ...

to study at

Keio University , mottoeng = The pen is mightier than the sword , type = Private research coeducational higher education institution , established = 1858 , founder = Yukichi Fukuzawa , endowment ...

from February to August 1882. Kim concluded that for now Japan would not invade Korea because its military strength was not comparable to

Qing China 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-speaki ...

. Kim felt that, in order to ensure survival when China was in decline, Korea would have to borrow Japanese help to modernize itself, and that the only solution to the situation was to introduce a new political force to wipe out the present dominant party. During his stay in Japan, he sought assistance, and Japanese statesman

Inoue Kaoru Marquess Inoue Kaoru (井上馨, January 16, 1836 – September 1, 1915) was a Japanese politician and a prominent member of the Meiji oligarchy during the Meiji period of the Empire of Japan. As one of the senior statesmen ('' Genrō'') in J ...

promised him 3,000,000 won (Korean currency) if Kim were to obtain permission from Korean

Emperor Gojong Gojong (; 8 September 1852 – 21 January 1919) was the monarch of Korea from 1864 to 1907. He reigned as the last King of Joseon from 1864 to 1897, and as the first Emperor of Korea from 1897 until his forced abdication in 1907. He is known ...

for reforms. Unfortunately, conflicts with a German ambassador and a change in Japanese policy on Korea caused Inoue to break his promise. Kim returned home in March 1884 without having attained his goal.

Second plan: Gapsin Coup

The Gaehwapa activists continued to meet at Kim's private house and discuss the ongoing events concerning

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea ...

and the international politics. In a feast offered by Kim for the members of the Min Yeong-ik political faction, several Japanese government officials were present, including Inoue and several of the Gaehwapa activists. Under the uncomfortable atmosphere, the discussions soon led to the

Sino-French War The Sino-French War (, french: Guerre franco-chinoise, vi, Chiến tranh Pháp-Thanh), also known as the Tonkin War and Tonquin War, was a limited conflict fought from August 1884 to April 1885. There was no declaration of war. The Chinese arm ...

. The Min Yeong-ik faction fiercely supported Qing China (which they felt would ensure the survival of Korea), and Japan fiercely supported France (which they felt would allow Japan to overtake Korea). The meeting broke up as Kim and others tried to stop the heated exchanges of debate. From this meeting, Kim could clearly predict that Japan would try to take advantage of the

by extending its influence on Korea. Clandestinely, Kim visited the Japanese embassy after the feast. During a discussion with Shimamura, Kim questioned Japan's stance for the Gaehwapa and complained about the incident with Inoue. Shimamura explained that the Japanese still support the movement, and that the internal conflicts and misunderstandings contributed to the ill relationship for Kim with Inoue. He added that the

was a great chance for spurring another movement, to which the Japanese government would definitely respond to. In a meeting of the Gaehwapa activists and Japanese supporters, Kim outlined a plan for the revolution. It consisted of the assassinations of certain political figures, and creating a major chaos on the day of the reception for the founding of "Ujeongchongguk (우정총국, 郵政總局)", or ''Office for International Postal Service''. They would select potential enemies as scapegoats to whom the blame would rest. The Japanese embassy strongly pledged their active military support to this plan. The young

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 Seo Gwang-beom also supported Kim's efforts to overturn the old retrograde regime. On the night of December 4, 1884, near the post office opening reception, a fire occurred. While the activists created chaos with explosives and gunshots, the assassins proceeded in their murders. Over the night, the

Gaehwapa The Gaehwa Party () was a Korean liberal and progressive party founded after the Imo Incident. They were also called the Independence Party of Joseon, the Innovation Party of Joseon, and the Reformist Faction. They tried to cut off the submiss ...

became the prevailing party in the government. This event is known as the

Gapsin Coup The Gapsin Coup, also known as the Gapsin Revolution, was a failed three-day coup d'état that occurred in Korea during 1884. Korean reformers in the Enlightenment Party sought to initiate rapid changes within the country, including eliminatin ...

Chinese interference

The truths behind the

incident were leaked to Queen Min (posthumously known as

Empress Myeongseong Empress Myeongseong or Empress Myungsung (명성황후 민씨; 17 November 1851 – 8 October 1895In lunar calendar, the Empress was born on 25 September 1851 and died on 20 August 1895), informally known as Empress Min, was the official wife ...

), and the plans of the Gaehwapa threatened her political rights. Therefore, the queen secretly requested the Chinese military for their presence. The Korean and Japanese soldiers fought outnumbered against the Chinese army, but were forced to retreat. With the predominance of the Chinese army, the Gaehwapa activists lost power to the Sadaedang, and their lives were threatened. The Gaehwapa activists headed toward the city port of Jemulpo (

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 ...

) under the escort of the Japanese ambassador Takejo, and boarded a Japanese ship, ''Sensei''. When there was a request to the Japanese ambassador Takejo to hand over the activists, he yielded; the Japanese captain Sujikas scolded Takejo and prohibited their release. The activists fled, many to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, but Kim Okgyun to Japan. Because his Korean name would be unfit for living in Japan, the captain gave Kim a new name, Iwata Shusaku. He led a life under the protection of the Japanese government, staying in Tokyo, then in

Sapporo ( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great River) is a city in Japan. It is the largest city north of Tokyo and the largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of the country. It ranks as the fifth most populous city ...

, and also visiting the

Ogasawara Islands The Bonin Islands, also known as the , are an archipelago of over 30 subtropical and tropical islands, some directly south of Tokyo, Japan and northwest of Guam. The name "Bonin Islands" comes from the Japanese word ''bunin'' (an archaic read ...

. Following the failure of the Gapsin Coup, Kim lived in fear of assassination. However, when invited to meet with

Li Hongzhang Li Hongzhang, Marquess Suyi ( zh, t=李鴻章; also Li Hung-chang; 15 February 1823 – 7 November 1901) was a Chinese politician, general and diplomat of the late Qing dynasty. He quelled several major rebellions and served in important ...

(李鴻章) in

, he felt that he could not refuse. Before departing Kim gave his personal diaries to Koyama, one of his close Japanese friends, in case something should happen to him.

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 fathe ...

who had travelled to Japan in 1893 to assassinate Kim Okgyun and

Park Yeong-hyo Park Yung-hyo or Bak Young-hyo (; 1861 – 21 September 1939) was a Korean politician from the Joseon Dynasty, an enlightenment activist, diplomat and pro-Japanese collaborator. He was one of the organizers of the Gapsin Coup of 1884, in ...

(another reform-minded Korean) learned of the voyage and managed to obtain passage to China on the same vessel. While en route to Shanghai he killed Kim Okgyun with a pistol. Hong later returned to Korea where he was appointed to high office. Kim's body was turned over to a Chinese warship, where it was dismembered. Parts of the body were put on public display in several towns in Korea as a traditional humiliation and punishment for treason. In Japan, there was an official protest to the Chinese government over the treatment of Kim's remains.

led a memorial service in Japan in Kim's honor, and erected a gravestone for him at the

Aoyama Cemetery is a cemetery in Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The cemetery is also famous for its cherry blossoms, and at the season of hanami, which many people would visit. History The cemetery was origina ...

in Tokyo. The assassination of Kim Ok-gyun was cited by the Japanese as one of the events leading to the

First Sino-Japanese War The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 1894 – 17 April 1895) was a conflict between China and Japan primarily over influence in Korea. After more than six months of unbroken successes by Japanese land and naval forces and the loss of the p ...

After his death

Kim Ok-gyun's assassination served as a

casus belli A (; ) is an act or an event that either provokes or is used to justify a war. A ''casus belli'' involves direct offenses or threats against the nation declaring the war, whereas a ' involves offenses or threats against its ally—usually one ...

for the

. The Japanese government predicted the assassination of Kim Ok-gyun, but they did not stop the assassination.

Family

* Great-Grandfather ** Kim Hu-sun (김후순, 金厚淳) * Grandfather ** Kim Gyo-geun (김교근, 金喬根) * Father ** Kim Byeong-tae (김병태, 金炳台) *** Adoptive father - Kim Byeong-gi (김병기, 金炳基) (1814 - 1891) * Mother ** Lady Song of the Eunjin Song clan (은진 송씨) *** Adoptive mother - Lady Jo of the Pungyang Jo clan (풍양 조씨)Lady Jo is a cousin of

Queen Shinjeong Queen Sinjeong (Hangul: 신정왕후, Hanja: 神貞王后; 21 January 1809 – 4 June 1890), also known as Queen Dowager Hyoyu (효유왕대비), of the Pungyang Jo clan, was the only wife of Crown Prince Hyomyeong and mother of Heonjong of Joseo ...

* Siblings ** Older sister - Kim Gyun-yi (김균이), Lady Kim of the Andong Kim clan (? - 1944) *** Brother-in-law - Song Byeong-ui (송병의) ** Younger brother - Kim Gak-gyun (김각균, 金珏均) * Wives and their children ** Lady Yu of the Gangreung Yu clan (강릉 유씨)/Lady Yu of the Gigye Yu clan (기계 유씨) *** Daughter - Lady Kim of the Andong Kim clan *** Son - Kim Yeong-jin (김영진, 金英鎭) (26 May 1876 - 16 January 1947) **** Grandson - Kim Seong-han (김성한, 金聲漢) (1918 - ?) ** Concubine - Lady Song (송씨) ** Sukitani Otama (스기타니 오타마) ** Masuno Naka (마쓰노 나카, 松野なか) *** Daughter - Kim Sada (사다) *** Son-in-law - Suzuki Ichigoro (스즈키 이치고로, 鈴木市五郎) **** Granddaughter - Suzuki Hideko (히데코) (1910 - 6 June 1937) ** Nami (나미) *** Unnamed son ** Unnamed concubine *** Kim Hak-jin (김학진, 金學鎭)

Popular culture

* Portrayed by Yoo Tae-woong in the 2010 SBS TV series '' Jejungwon''. * Portrayed by

Yoon Hee-seok Yoon Hee-seok (born February 19, 1975) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Film Television series Music video Theater Awards and nominations References External links * * * Yoon Hee-seok Fan Cafeat Daum * * * 1975 bir ...

in the 2014 KBS TV series ''

Gunman in Joseon ''Gunman in Joseon'' () is a 2014 South Korean television series starring Lee Joon-gi, Nam Sang-mi, Jeon Hye-bin, Han Joo-wan, and Yu Oh-seong. It aired on KBS2 from June 25 to September 4, 2014 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 22 episo ...

''.

References

Bibliography

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Okgyun 1851 births 1894 deaths 19th-century Korean people Assassinated Korean politicians Deaths by firearm in Korea Gim clan of Andong Korean politicians People from South Chungcheong Province People murdered in Korea Soh Jaipil Yun Chi-ho