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| The Hulbert Memorial Society President Kim Dong-jin speaks during an event in Seoul, Thursday, commemorating the 74th anniversary of Homer B. Hulbert's death. Behind Kim is a portrait of Hulbert. Courtesy of Hulbert Memorial Society |
By Kim Se-jeong
Marking the 74th anniversary of the death of Homer B. Hulbert, an American who helped Korea's independence movement in its struggle against Japanese colonization, on Thursday, Hulbert Memorial Society president Kim Dong-jin reiterated his call to the Korean government and the public to pay more attention to foreign independence fighters.
"Hulbert didn't have to fight for Korea, but he did so, driven by justice and humanity without expecting anything in return," Kim said at the commemoration ceremony in Seoul.
"The same goes for other foreign independence fighters. They all made arduous efforts just to aid Korea, which truly makes them remarkable," Kim said.
Hulbert is among 76 foreign independence fighters recognized by the Korean government.
"Los Angeles boasts Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Memorial Interchange on its highway and Ahn Chang Ho Post Office. In the state of New York, a day dedicated to commemorate Yu Gwan-sun. There's something to learn from these moves. It is crucial that we express our profound gratitude to all those who fought for us and find ways to remember their contributions," Kim said. Both Ahn and Yu are Korean independence fighters.
Born in the U.S., Hulbert arrived in Korea in 1886 as a missionary and an English teacher. In 1905 when Japan coerced the Korean Empire to sign the Eulsa Treaty which deprived the empire of its diplomatic sovereignty and made it Japan's protectorate, Hulbert traveled to Washington as Emperor Gojong's secret envoy. There, he sought to deliver Gojong's clandestine letter repudiating the treaty to U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. Failing to do so, Hulbert met with a New York Times journalist for interviews and the newspaper published two articles on what was happening in the empire and Gojong's repudiation of the treaty.
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| Robert Post, minister-counselor for public diplomacy at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, speaks during an event in Seoul, Thursday, commemorating the 74th anniversary of Homer B. Hulbert's death. Courtesy of Hulbert Memorial Society |
In 1906, Hulbert authored the book "The Passing of Korea," in which he detailed the Eulsa Treaty and Japan's underlying motives.
In 1907, Hulbert embarked on a covert mission to assist three Korean representatives attending the Hague Convention in the Netherlands to disown the treaty in front of the international community. There, he held a press conference openly criticizing Japan, which resulted in Japan banning him from returning to Korea.
Hulbert continued his fight for Korea in his home country until 1945. Through 5,000 essays and columns and 1,000 speeches, he ardently argued for Korea's liberation.
Following Korea's liberation in 1945, Hulbert received an invitation from the Korean government to return to Korea. On July 29, 1949, he landed in Korea but passed away just one week later. He was buried at Yangwhajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery in Seoul.
Posthumously, Hulbert was honored with the third grade of the Order of Merit for National Foundation.
Believing that Hulbert deserves more recognition, Kim wants the government to elevate the American's posthumous honor to the highest grade. He said granting the foreign independence fighters the recognition they deserve is a way to express gratitude. Voluntary Agency Network Korea (VANK), a civic group, is also spearheading campaigns to this end.
Thursday's commemoration event was joined by Robert Post, minister-counselor for public diplomacy at the U.S. Embassy; Jeffrey D. Jones, former chairman of American Chamber of Commerce in Korea; Steven Shields, president of Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch; Robert Neff, a historian; Ra Chi-man, director general of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Seoul Regional Office; Lee Jong-chan, chairman of Heritage of Korean Independence; Kim Ju-won, president of the Korean Language Society; Rep. Jung Chung-rae of the Democratic Party of Korea; Park Kang-soo, head of Mapo District; Lee Ki-suk, a professor emeritus at Seoul National University; Park Gi-tae, director of VANK; and Lee Tae-jin, a professor emeritus at Seoul National University.
The organization also published a photobook featuring Hulbert's activities for Korea's independence.
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| People participate in an event in Seoul, Thursday, commemorating the 74th anniversary of Homer B. Hulbert's death. Courtesy of Hulbert Memorial Society |
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