Throw away your prejudice against the Korean Empire!
Politicians, missionaries, intellectuals, journalists, and businessmen
Records of five different people who lived in that era
A fresh look at the history of the Korean Empire, free from prejudice and embellishment.

Redrawing the History of the Korean Empire
―The history of the Korean Empire as it was reconstructed from the records of five people who lived during that time.

The 'Korean Empire', a page of our history that is always summoned to the court of history.
The academic community's position is largely divided.
One is that it deserves criticism for failing to wisely overcome the era of the law of the jungle in a rapidly changing world situation, which led to the downfall of the nation. The other is that it should be evaluated positively for its efforts to modernize despite failing to overcome the limitations of the era called imperialism.
With the debate surrounding the Korean Empire raging like a bonfire, how should we view it? The best way to understand is to meet the people who lived during that era and hear their stories firsthand.

Accordingly, the author recruited five people from all walks of life who lived at the time.
The main characters include Yun Chi-ho, a representative intellectual who took the lead in accepting Western civilization and a politician who engaged in a wide range of activities while meeting with figures at home and abroad; Gustave Mutel, a French priest who observed the political situation from close range of the power of the Korean Empire while spreading Catholicism; Jeong Gyo, an intellectual who keenly observed the people and events of the time and left behind history books from his own perspective; and Ji Gyu-sik, a businessman who vividly conveyed the perspectives of the common people.

What was the "Korean Empire" like as experienced, felt, and perceived by these five individuals, whose worldviews and approaches varied according to their diverse circumstances? The author argues, "Just as history requires contextual understanding before present-day evaluation, we must also understand the diverse circumstances, aspirations, and desires of the actors of the time in a multi-layered manner."
“We need to understand and reflect on what they thought and why they had to act that way at the time,” he says.
Through the unbiased and unadorned 'Their Korean Empire' told through the mouths of five people, you will be able to draw a new 'My Own Korean Empire'.

“I felt the need to create a space where readers, regardless of the research of other scholars including myself, could ride a time machine to the era of the Korean Empire, become a person of that era, and experience and reflect on the times.
This is why I sought to find a way to approach the historical context while observing the era objectively, without being swayed by the opinions of others or blindly pushing forward my own views without any basis.
“If this happens, I hope that it will allow me to critically reflect on the claims of various scholars while broadening the scope for communication with those who hold different historical and worldviews.”
---From "Publishing a Book"

I tried to interconnect them as much as possible within the same context so that the main characters' speech would not be scattered.
Even though their living spaces were somewhat separated and their reactions to major events differed, the protagonists showed characteristic tendencies or trends in that they shared a common atmosphere amidst rapid political upheaval.
…I wanted to bring them into a historical event, but also show their words and actions, as well as their inner world, down to the microscopic details.
This is because I wanted to look back with readers on the meaning of their lives within the context of the times, moving away from causal or teleological explanations.

---From "Publishing a Book"

Yun Chi-ho wrote the following in his diary on February 11, the day of the Gwanghwamun massacre.
“It is a joy that Your Majesty is free from the enemy’s land.
It is a joyous thing that those involved in the November 28 incident [the Chunsaengmun incident] have now been cleared of the charge of being traitors.
However, unless His Majesty decides to push for reform in earnest, there is no possibility that these changes will truly improve the welfare of the country.” Yun Chi-ho is relieved to see that Emperor Gojong has escaped from Japanese influence through the Russian Legation Retreat and that those involved in the Chunsaengmun Incident, including Lee Jae-sun, have been released from exile.
---「Part 1 Chapter 1.
From “The Aftermath of the Short Hair Order and the A-Gwan Pa-Cheon”

Even Mutel, who had been friendly to the Joseon government, is presenting a pessimistic outlook.
“In any case, Joseon will not be able to remain an independent country.
It's just a matter of time.
“It is difficult to see the current crown prince ascending to the throne if the current king disappears,” he said.
Furthermore, Russia even suggested that it might hand over Korea to Japan in order to protect Manchuria.
Of course, Mutel did not want to believe Speyer's prediction, but he had something to agree with.
As will be described later, the seeds of the Manchurian-Korean exchange theory have already been seen.
---「Part 1 Chapter 3.
From “The Road to the Establishment of the Korean Empire”

Yun Chi-ho highly evaluated the Seoul urban redevelopment project promoted by Lee Chae-yeon, the mayor of Seoul.
At that time, Lee Chae-yeon installed electric streetlights on main roads under the orders of King Gojong.
Yun Chi-ho wrote about his impressions of that scene as follows:
“Thanks to Lee Chae-yeon’s progressive views, people living on main roads were instructed to light up in front of their houses.
That's a good thing.
“The night view of the town from my window is beautiful, decorated with electric lights.” It was a very generous score for Yun Chi-ho, who was known to be harsh towards the government.
He also expressed his agreement with the Gwangmu regime's efforts to civilize.
---「Part 2 Chapter 1.
From “The Conflict Lines Between the Gwangmu Regime and the Independence Association”

In his “Maecheon Diary,” Hwang Hyeon not only harshly criticized the tyranny of the Catholic Church after the Jeju teachings in 1901, but also criticized the tyranny of the Catholic Church in other teachings.
“The Daejeong County Governor Chae Gu-seok was detained in Seoul Prison.
Since the uprising of 1901, the number of Catholics in Jeju has increased day by day, making it difficult for the people to live in peace.
When the French minister Plancy arrived, the believers falsely entrapped him and fabricated a story to have him arrested, collect compensation, and imprison him for three years before finally releasing him.
In addition, when Plancy threatened our government to select and provide burial sites for the Jeju believers, the believers competed to occupy the fertile land.
“It is the avenging of their old grudge.”
---「Part 3, Chapter 3.
From “The Dark Clouds of Disaster and War”

Unlike Mutel, Hwang Hyeon wanted Russia to lose, but he was also uneasy about Japan's victory.
This was because they were concerned that a Japanese victory would be a disaster for the Korean people.
Yun Chi-ho also stated in his diary on October 20 that Korea would not be able to revive regardless of who won the war.
“What breaks my heart is the utter despair that there is no chance of Korea’s revival, no matter which side wins the war.
… All other things being equal, the Japanese have more reason to bring peace and prosperity to Koreans than the Russians.” Unlike Hwang Hyeon, Yun Chi-ho cannot give up the expectation that if Japan pursues civilization and enlightenment, it will ultimately bring peace and prosperity to Koreans.
---「Part 4 Chapter 1.
From "The Russo-Japanese War Breaks Out in the Sea of ​​Incheon"

Hwang Hyeon, citing a report in the Daehan Maeil Shinbo dated April 2, 1908, informs us that the public identified Song Byeong-jun, Jo Jung-eung, and Shin Gi-seon as the three most loyal slaves of Japan.
…The people’s anger reached its peak.
Hwang Hyeon-do conveys the humor and anger of the people as follows:
“The surnames of Lee Wan-yong and Park Je-sun were often written on the toilets of people in Seoul.
“The words ‘Lee Park’s Restaurant’ are written in large letters, indicating that it is the same as a dog.”
---「Part 6 Chapter 1.
From “The Barbarism of the Invaders and the Crossroads of the People”

Japan buried the remains secretly and did not reveal the location.
This is because they wanted to prevent the fervor for commemorating Ahn Jung-geun from growing explosively.
… However, after Ahn Jung-geun’s death, the public sentiment for his remembrance actually grew.
Although it was not possible to do so domestically, it was possible to pay tribute in Vladivostok.
Hwang Hyeon wrote that Koreans in the area held several memorial services.
In addition, Jeonggyo conveyed the atmosphere at the time when he tried to make money by taking advantage of the excitement surrounding Ahn Jung-geun's memorial, based on an article in the Daehan Maeil Shinbo dated March 31, 1910.
“At that time, the Japanese printed Ahn Jung-geun’s picture on postcards and sold them in Seoul, and the people fought to buy them.
On March 28, the Ministry of the Interior banned it, saying it was a disruption of public order.”
---「Part 6, Chapter 2.
From "An Jung-geun Shot Ito in the Heart"

The news of the merger reached Mutel earlier than the general public.
Mutel wrote in his diary on August 26th:
“Thanks to Mr. Van Birbright, I was able to hear that Korea was being annexed and that the treaty would be promulgated on the 29th.
Negotiations like these clearly reveal how helpless both the former and current emperors were.
Wouldn't it be better to die than to become a vassal state? May God protect us from this sad situation!” Mutel, who had constantly contacted the imperial family to secure freedom of missionary work during the Korean Empire, now criticizes the imperial family of the Korean Empire and writes mockingly, suggesting that death would be better.
For foreigners, the future of Catholicism was more of a concern than the national ruin of Korea.

---「Part 6, Chapter 4.
From “The Road to Merger”