Kim Gu

Kim Gu was a Korean politician who devoted his life to the cause of Korean independence from Japan. He was born in a poor farming family in Haeju, Hwanghae Province, and received a traditional education in Chinese classics. He joined the Donghak Movement, a peasant rebellion against the corrupt Joseon government and foreign intervention, at the age of 17. He later became involved in various anti-Japanese activities, such as assassinating a Japanese official suspected of being involved in the murder of Empress Myeongseong, and joining the New People’s Association, a nationalist organization. He was arrested and tortured several times by the Japanese authorities, and escaped to China in 1910, where he became a founding member of the Korean Provisional Government. He served as the president of the provisional government for multiple terms, and also founded and led the Korean Patriotic Organization and the Korean Liberation Army, which fought against the Japanese occupation. He was involved in numerous plots and attempts to assassinate Japanese leaders, including Emperor Hirohito. He also collaborated with the Republic of China and the United States to seek international recognition and support for the Korean independence movement. After the liberation of Korea in 1945, Kim returned to his homeland and tried to prevent the division of Korea by the Soviet Union and the United States. He advocated for a unified and independent Korea, and opposed the establishment of separate governments in the North and the South. He also visited Kim Il-sung in Pyongyang to discuss the possibility of reunification, but failed to reach an agreement. He was assassinated in 1949 by a Korean lieutenant who was allegedly working for the South Korean intelligence agency. Kim is widely regarded as one of the greatest figures in Korean history, and a symbol of patriotism and resistance. He is buried in Hyochang Park, where his statue and memorial hall are located. His autobiography, Baekbeom Ilji, is considered a classic of Korean literature and a source of inspiration for many Koreans.