Fifteen Years Among the Top-Knots; Or, Life in Korea

by Lillias H. Underwood

Sacrifices and prayers were again offered, the gigantic wooden horses were burned, and the mourners retired. An audience given to all the diplomats and invited guests, for the expression of farewells and condolences, ended the ceremonies at about eight o’clock in the morning.

For some time before and after the removal of the king to his own palace in Chong Dong, a growing feeling of anxiety and distrust was felt over the preponderance of Russian influence, which found expression in the formal request made to the king to leave the legation.

While his majesty was still residing there, and before the uneasiness with regard to Russia had arisen, the “Independent Club” had been organized by Mr. So Jay Peel, with the consent of the king, to emphasize Korea’s independence of China. The old columns, where tribute collectors from that nation were received, were pulled down and a new Independence Arch erected, as well as a large building for the official business of the club, called Independence Hall. The crown prince contributed a thousand dollars for this purpose. The club was immensely popular with all classes and many of the nobility as well as the commoners were members. But the real object of the club was to keep Korea independent of all foreign powers in general, and of Russia and Japan, as well as China, in particular; to protest against, and prevent, if possible, the usurpation of office and influence by foreigners, to stand for the rights of the people, the autonomy of the nation, its gospel being in a word, “Korea for the Koreans.”

So that now, when the menace seemed to shift its quarters from the west to the north, the Independence Club began to make itself heard against Russia.

A word with regard to one or two of its leaders may be of interest. Mr. So Jay Peel had previously belonged to the progressive party, and had been obliged to flee to Japan, where after a short residence he went to America. He was of very high rank and a wealthy family, but his property having been confiscated he worked his own way, graduating from a first-class college with highest honors. Then taking a civil service examination, he had become an American citizen. He obtained a government position, which gave him light work with sufficient salary to enable him to take a course in medicine, after which he received a very fine government medical appointment, on a competitive examination.

But his heart turned to his country, and after the Japanese war and the establishment of Japanese prestige, he returned to Korea, where he became adviser to the king, and soon after started a newspaper called the “Independent,” which was printed half in English and half in the native character. Mr. So proved himself a gifted, brilliant and eloquent man, full of enthusiastic devotion to the emancipation and welfare of his country, perhaps too impatient and precipitate in trying to hasten the accomplishment of these great ends, a fault common with young and ardent patriots. Mr. So was the first president of the club, and was succeeded by Mr. Yun Chee Ho, a son of General Yun, who had led the attack on the palace for the rescue of the king. Like Mr. So, he had been for some years away from Korea, having been educated partly in China in an American Methodist Mission school, and partly under the same auspices in America. Both he and Mr. So are members of American Protestant churches. Mr. Yun, who, however, still retains his Korean citizenship, is also both a fine writer and speaker, and an enthusiastic patriot and progressionist. He afterwards succeeded Mr. So in the editorship of the “Independent.” Their following consisted quite largely of impulsive, eager young men, many of them Christians, very many of them students, and probably included the majority of the brilliant, energetic, and sincerely patriotic young men of the capital.

As has been said, after Mr. Waeber’s removal and the king’s departure from the Russian legation, and a new Russian minister had arrived, Korea became more than ever subject to Russian influence. Russians swarmed in the palace, the army and the treasury were completely in their hands, and their absolute supremacy seemed only a question of a few brief weeks or months.

At this time, February, 1898, the Independence Club offered a petition to the king asking the removal of all Russians from the army and government offices. The Russian minister requested the king to state his wish in this matter, and soon after, being informed in the affirmative, the Russians were all withdrawn for the time. April 12, 1898, coincident with this, Port Arthur was ceded to the Russians by Japan, a fact which it was thought by many had much to do with the retirement from Korea. It is most improbable that the action of Russia was in this case out of consideration for the preferences of Koreans.

The Independence Club now grew more and more popular and held frequent loud and clamorous meetings, at which public affairs were discussed with great freedom, the wrong doings of high officials severely censured and held up to public scorn, and unpopular laws sharply criticised and bitterly inveighed against. They were full of hope and patriotism, their aim and expectation seeming to be to have all wrongs righted, all abuses done away with, and Korea remade in a day a free government and people.

The Independence Club held large mass meetings. The shops were closed, the whole population was stirred, and even women held meetings, incredible as it may seem. As a result of which a written petition was sent to the government, asking for seven reforms, abolishing torture and other objectionable customs, and granting more liberties.