- New People's Association
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New People's Association Hangul 신민회 Hanja 新民會 Revised Romanization Shinminhoe McCune–Reischauer Sinminhoe The New People's Association, established on April 1941 is a clandestine organization for fostering the independence and national strength of the Korean Empire. The organization was formed by social activists such as Ahn Changho, Shin Chaeho, and Park Eunsik.
With their belief that the enlightenment can strengthen the national power of Korea to achieve the independece, they took in actions on military movement, education, publication, and industrialization. Even after the New People's Association had been dissolved by the Imperial Japan in 1911, they made a huge contribution on the Korean Independence Movement.
Ahn Chang-ho
Contents
Background
After Independence Club (독립협회, 獨立協會) was dissolved on December 25 1898 as Emperor Gojong officially announced to prohibit congresses held by people, the Empire of Japan made a treaty with the Korean Empire called Eulsa Treaty which made the Korean Empire become a protectorate of the Empire of Japan [1] of Japan. The treaty laid the foundation for the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty of 1907 in and subsequent annexation of Korea in 1910.[2] Even though Emperor Sunjong, who is a son of Emperor Gojong, sent a Hague Secret Emissary Affair to expose the unfairness of the treaty in the Hague Convention of 1907, due to the Great Powers, they were ignored.[3]
History
From the initiation by Ahn Changho in Los Angeles, California, the people who used to be the leaders of Independence Club decided to organize Korean New People's Association (대한신민회) from Pyeongyang and Seoul in the late 1906. After the establishment, they have established branches national-wide, and started to support education, industrialization, and military actions for the independence. However, in 1911, the New People's Association was dissolved as the Imperial Japan fabricated the Case of the One Hundred Five and arrested the main members of the New people's Association. Even though they were dismissed, their ideology and main actions became inherited by the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea later.
Ideology
The main politic ideology of the New People's Association was based on Republicanism, which is far different from Constitutional Monarchy which Independence Club had believed. Also, to strengthen the national power, they asserted that citizens should be reformed to become new people(신민, 新民) first. In other words, they believed people should be 'prepared' first for the apportunity for the independence of Korea.
Actions
Military School of the New Rising
The New People's Association had supported the Righteous Army movement (militias in Korea) to restore the power of the nation. They established the Military School of the New Rising, which has made a huge contribution to the foundation of the Korean Liberation Army (한국 광복군), Korean Independence Army (대한독립군), Korean Revolutionary Army (조선혁명군), and Righteous Patriots Corps (의열단) from 1911 to 1920.
Education
As they have believed that the enlightenment is one of the most crucial factor to strengthen the national power, the New People's Association also made a huge investment in education in Korea. It is assumed that about hundreds of middle schools have been established by the New People's Association.[4]
Publication
The New People's Association also published the Daehan Maeil Sinbo (Korean Daily News, 대한매일신보) At the same time, Sonyeon (Boys, 소년) was published as a monthly magazine for students, and all these publication activities provided a basis of the modern culture of Korea.
Leaders of Sinminhoe
Shin Chaeho- Shin Chaeho (신채호, 申采浩)
- Ahn Changho (안창호, 安昌浩)
- Yun Chiho (윤치호, 尹致昊)
- Park Eunsik (박은식, 朴殷植)
- Yi Dongnyeong (이동녕, 李東寧)
- Yang Gitak (양기탁, 梁起鐸)
- Jang Jiyeon (장지연, 張志淵)
- Yi Donghwi (이동휘, 李東煇)
Footnotes
- ^ The history of Korea, pp.461~462, by Homer Hulbert
- ^ Carnegie Endowment (1921). Pamphlet 43: Korea, Treaties and Agreements," p. vii. at Google Books
- ^ Eckert, Carter J. et al. (1990). Korea Old and New: A History, p. 245.
- ^ http://100.naver.com/100.nhn?docid=101739
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