pictorial
Spreading the spirit of independence
preface

General: Our country is like a ship caught in a typhoon.

1.
All citizens must realize their responsibility.
2.
If you fail to fulfill your responsibilities, you will inevitably get into trouble.
3.
If the people work hard, we can create a civilized and prosperous nation.
4.
True loyalty is what benefits the country.
5.
We must strengthen the spirit of independence in our hearts.
6.
Trade and exchange are beneficial.
7.
The difference between an independent country and a neutral country
8.
The nation can be preserved only when the people are awake.
9.
The importance of freedom and independence
10, 11, 12 omitted
13.
Distinction between new and traditional
14.
Distinction between three political systems
15.
Rights enjoyed by American citizens
16.
History of American Independence
17.
American Declaration of Independence
18.
American Civil War
19.
The French Revolution, which achieved freedom and equality
20.
Advantages of constitutional politics
21.
The rise and fall of a nation depends on its political system.
22.
The success or failure of a political system depends on the level of its citizens.
23.
The people's hearts must first be free.
24.
Freedom has its limits
25.
Our proud footsteps of independence
26.
The Qing Dynasty, mired in outdated prejudices
27.
Why Japan Prospered
28.
Russia's sinister hand
29.
Conflict between our country and Western powers
30.
Japan demands trade with Joseon
31.
Joseon trades with Japan for the first time
32.
Background of the Im-o Military Rebellion
33.
Relations between Joseon, Japan, and the Qing Dynasty just before the Sino-Japanese War
34.
The circumstances surrounding the Gapsin Coup
35.
Sending the first ambassadors to each country
36.
Causes of the Sino-Japanese War
37.
Joseon's foreign relations after the Sino-Japanese War
38.
Russia invades the Liaodong Peninsula
39.
The Boxer Rebellion of the Qing Dynasty
40.
Causes of the Russo-Japanese War
41.
Joseon embarked on reform after the Sino-Japanese War
42.
The situation between Japan and Russia after the Sino-Japanese War
43.
Russia and Japan competed over Joseon
44.
War breaks out between Russia and Japan
45.
The Korean Empire during the Russo-Japanese War
46.
Dissecting Japan's intentions
47.
The harm inflicted on our country by the Qing Dynasty, Japan, and Russia
48.
We missed many good opportunities.
49.
Uncovering the Japanese government's intentions
50.
Uncovering the Japanese's intentions

Conclusion: Six Principles for Practicing the Spirit of Independence
annual report

Freedom of our people and independence of our country, more precious than life!
《The Spirit of Independence》 is a history book written by President Syngman Rhee while he was imprisoned in Hanseong Prison on January 9, 1899, on charges of participating in the plot by Park Young-hyo and his group to dethrone Emperor Gojong. It is the first book on diplomatic history written by a Korean.
At that time, the young Syngman Rhee declared to the world in this book, “If the spirit of independence is deeply ingrained and even just one person has the spirit of protecting Korean independence, I have no fear even if the word ‘independence’ disappears,” and “I am writing this book in a hurry because it is more urgent than anything to instill the will for independence in the minds of the people.” This book is a national enlightenment book written with youthful passion and blood and tears to inform the people that even if Japan’s control over Korea grows and our independence is violated, we must value the freedom and independence of our country more than our lives, based on the belief that “if the national spirit changes, sprouts can sprout from what is rotten and life can come from what is dead.”

The patriotism of young Syngman Rhee sparks!
Syngman Rhee was introduced to Western culture when he entered Baejae School, founded by missionaries, in the year that the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-95), in which Japan and China fought to take over Joseon, broke out.
In the midst of this, he was convinced that democratic reforms and other reforms were necessary to protect the country, and he took the lead in the reform movement.
He also held modern debates, published newspapers, and wrote editorials to enlighten the people and shape public opinion.
Not only that, he was imprisoned at the young age of 24 for going out on the streets to give speeches and protest.
During Syngman Rhee's childhood and youth, the Joseon Dynasty's national fortunes were rapidly declining.
Foreigners were ruling our country at will, but the yangban officials were corrupt and obsessed with power struggles, relying on foreign powers, while the people were poor, ignorant, and powerless.
The military was dissatisfied and rebelled (the Imo Incident of 1882), and amidst a power struggle between the conservatives who relied on the Qing Dynasty and the reformists who relied on Japan, the Gapsin Coup (1894), a coup d'état by the reformists, occurred.
The Donghak Revolution (1894-95), a peasant uprising that occurred in the same year, swept through many areas of Jeolla and Chungcheong provinces, but the government was unable to suppress it.


The passion of a young revolutionary burning in prison!
The Qing Dynasty and Japan intervened militarily under the pretext of suppressing the Donghak Revolution, thereby starting the Sino-Japanese War (1984-1995) on our land and sea.
The Japanese, who won the Sino-Japanese War and took control of Joseon, assassinated Queen Myeongseong (1895).
And the Gwanghwamun Incident (1896-97) occurred, in which Emperor Gojong took refuge in the Russian embassy for a year to avoid the threat of Japan.
In just a few years, a series of tremendous events occurred.
Syngman Rhee, who witnessed this scene, risked his life to save the country and was imprisoned.
Syngman Rhee's reformist movement continued even in prison, and he wrote editorials under fake names and published them in the Imperial Newspaper and the Shinhak Monthly.
When the Russo-Japanese War broke out, he wrote “The Spirit of Independence” with boiling anger and a sense of desperation.
The prisons at that time were in conditions that are unimaginable today.
In particular, I could not obtain books or newspapers or magazines that could be used as references for writing the book, and I could not even obtain paper and pencils.
Moreover, it was difficult to imagine writing a book like this while secretly hiding under surveillance.
However, it was possible for Syngman Rhee to write because he had a boiling patriotism and an indomitable will.
Here are the things he consistently argued in this work:

The situation around the Korean Peninsula 100 years ago and Syngman Rhee's spirit of independence!
This book contains important information related to our independence, so by reading it, you will be able to understand what independence is, how it relates to us, why our country needed the spirit of independence at the time, and how the situation would change in the future.
I sincerely hope that everyone will thoroughly practice the spirit of independence and encourage others to do so so that the entire nation can quickly become aware of and practice it.
But if you only know the past events related to independence and do not know how to maintain complete independence, it is of no use.
This book contains the most important and urgent information that our people need to know.
Therefore, anyone who reads this book must realize this and put it into practice.
At first, one or two people will practice and build up strength for the nation. Eventually, the entire nation will become one body and mind, and all citizens will gain strength.

We must engage with the world! Calling for globalization 100 years ago!
There are few countries in the world that do not interact with each other, and there is no reason why people from different countries cannot open their hearts to each other.
Countries that were unaware of the existence of a vast world are now interacting freely with other countries.
Countries that have embraced modernization are prospering and enjoying an equal status with other countries.
If this kind of exchange between nations continues, the unique characteristics of each nation's people will disappear, and eventually the people of the entire world will be unified into one civilization.
The current situation in the East is like the rising sun in the morning. Some places see the sun first, others later, but the rising sun cannot be stopped.
Just as sunlight shines in all directions, we cannot alone stop the new civilization that is rising in the West.
It is clear from what has happened so far that the new civilization coming from the West cannot be stopped.
If, after experiencing this, we refuse to accept new civilizations, our country will perish forever, and its people will also disappear.

We must realize that it is usually mutually beneficial!
Humans can live only with neighbors.
Let's imagine that we make and use all the things we need to live.
I have to make all of this with my own hands, but how can I make all of this with my own hands?
If you live like that, it will be difficult to maintain the moral character that a human being should have, let alone academic knowledge or innate talent.
I can get the things I need to live with the help of my neighbors.
Furthermore, the more neighbors you have, the more information and knowledge you can obtain.
We should open our doors to the countries of the world, establish friendly relations, exchange goods, and correct any wrong customs we may have.
If we don't do that, it would be like the front and back houses, the north and the south, or the west and the east building walls and not caring about each other.
This shows how harmful it is for the world when people do not interact with each other.
Therefore, people attach great importance to interaction with other countries and strive to ensure that no corner of the world is isolated.
If our country also quickly learns these technologies and installs them nationwide, allowing even distant regions to be like close neighbors and to communicate with each other at any time, the entire country will develop evenly.

Study hard in new knowledge so that you don't lose your economic benefits to foreigners!
We must diligently study agriculture, clear the wastelands before foreigners come and start farming, and bring in machinery to use in farming, thus doubling our harvests.
We must learn commerce so that the commercial rights of foreign merchants will naturally diminish, and we must learn mining so that we can secure mining rights before foreigners can take over mining development rights.
We must also endeavor to learn in detail what methods and machines are used in navigation, telegraphy and the post office, fishing, logging and afforestation, etc.
We must learn how to make various things, make them ourselves instead of buying them from foreign countries, and strive to export the things we make.

If we all unite and buy domestic products even if they are a little more expensive to prevent money from going abroad, foreign products will be pushed out on their own, domestic products will become abundant, and our manufacturing industry will develop further.
As a result, hundreds or thousands of businesses will flourish, foreign wealth will flow in, the economy will develop, people's lives will change dramatically, and everything will become prosperous.