Official Sacred Record
LEGACY
Commander An Jung-geun's reading records
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I n t r o d u c t i o n
Righteous Patriot of Harbin An Jung-geun
CommanderKR1879 — 1910
Independence activist of the Korean Empire. His assassination of Ito Hirobumi and the calligraphy he produced in prison made him a symbol of national spirit.
“What pulled the trigger was not cruel resentment, but a firm conviction toward Joseon's independence and peace in the East!”
C o n t e m p o r a r i e s
L i b r a r y
Cultural Journey
How cultural experiences shaped this figure's life
An Jung-geun was a person who simultaneously embodied two streams of text: the Confucian classics and the doctrines of Catholicism. At a village school in Haeju he internalized the ethics of loyalty and filial piety through the Four Books and Three Classics, and after meeting Father Wilhelm in his sixteenth year and converting to Catholicism, he took the Catholic conception of justice as the reference point for his actions. The two traditions were not contradictory to him. An's thought was formed at the point where Confucian righteousness and Catholic justice converged into a single principle of action. It is a rare case of a single body integrating the scriptures of East and West.
The most distinctive feature of his mode of engagement is practical reading. He did not stop at reading and interpreting texts — he immediately converted what he read into real-world tasks. The act of founding Samheung School and taking over Uiui School to stand at the blackboard himself was the manifestation of an impulse to immediately propagate through education the insight gained through reading. *A Treatise on Peace in the East* was likewise not a conception that suddenly occurred to him in prison. It was the result of Confucian Great Harmony thought, the Catholic ideal of universal brotherhood, and international affairs texts he had encountered while wandering Manchuria and the Maritime Province — accumulated over a long time.
The sequence of first writing his autobiography *An Eung-chil's Story* in prison and then writing *A Treatise on Peace in the East* encapsulates his mode of engagement. He first recorded his own life, then expanded the principles extracted from that life into a universal argument. His act of requesting writing time rather than appealing his death sentence was an expression of the conviction that the pen reaches further than the sword. To An Jung-geun, reading was not an act of understanding the world but the act of arming oneself to change it.
The most distinctive feature of his mode of engagement is practical reading. He did not stop at reading and interpreting texts — he immediately converted what he read into real-world tasks. The act of founding Samheung School and taking over Uiui School to stand at the blackboard himself was the manifestation of an impulse to immediately propagate through education the insight gained through reading. *A Treatise on Peace in the East* was likewise not a conception that suddenly occurred to him in prison. It was the result of Confucian Great Harmony thought, the Catholic ideal of universal brotherhood, and international affairs texts he had encountered while wandering Manchuria and the Maritime Province — accumulated over a long time.
The sequence of first writing his autobiography *An Eung-chil's Story* in prison and then writing *A Treatise on Peace in the East* encapsulates his mode of engagement. He first recorded his own life, then expanded the principles extracted from that life into a universal argument. His act of requesting writing time rather than appealing his death sentence was an expression of the conviction that the pen reaches further than the sword. To An Jung-geun, reading was not an act of understanding the world but the act of arming oneself to change it.
Cultural Journey
How cultural experiences shaped this figure's life
An Jung-geun was a person who simultaneously embodied two streams of text: the Confucian classics and the doctrines of Catholicism. At a village school in Haeju he internalized the ethics of loyalty and filial piety through the Four Books and Three Classics, and after meeting Father Wilhelm in his sixteenth year and converting to Catholicism, he took the Catholic conception of justice as the reference point for his actions. The two traditions were not contradictory to him. An's thought was formed at the point where Confucian righteousness and Catholic justice converged into a single principle of action. It is a rare case of a single body integrating the scriptures of East and West.
The most distinctive feature of his mode of engagement is practical reading. He did not stop at reading and interpreting texts — he immediately converted what he read into real-world tasks. The act of founding Samheung School and taking over Uiui School to stand at the blackboard himself was the manifestation of an impulse to immediately propagate through education the insight gained through reading. *A Treatise on Peace in the East* was likewise not a conception that suddenly occurred to him in prison. It was the result of Confucian Great Harmony thought, the Catholic ideal of universal brotherhood, and international affairs texts he had encountered while wandering Manchuria and the Maritime Province — accumulated over a long time.
The sequence of first writing his autobiography *An Eung-chil's Story* in prison and then writing *A Treatise on Peace in the East* encapsulates his mode of engagement. He first recorded his own life, then expanded the principles extracted from that life into a universal argument. His act of requesting writing time rather than appealing his death sentence was an expression of the conviction that the pen reaches further than the sword. To An Jung-geun, reading was not an act of understanding the world but the act of arming oneself to change it.
The most distinctive feature of his mode of engagement is practical reading. He did not stop at reading and interpreting texts — he immediately converted what he read into real-world tasks. The act of founding Samheung School and taking over Uiui School to stand at the blackboard himself was the manifestation of an impulse to immediately propagate through education the insight gained through reading. *A Treatise on Peace in the East* was likewise not a conception that suddenly occurred to him in prison. It was the result of Confucian Great Harmony thought, the Catholic ideal of universal brotherhood, and international affairs texts he had encountered while wandering Manchuria and the Maritime Province — accumulated over a long time.
The sequence of first writing his autobiography *An Eung-chil's Story* in prison and then writing *A Treatise on Peace in the East* encapsulates his mode of engagement. He first recorded his own life, then expanded the principles extracted from that life into a universal argument. His act of requesting writing time rather than appealing his death sentence was an expression of the conviction that the pen reaches further than the sword. To An Jung-geun, reading was not an act of understanding the world but the act of arming oneself to change it.
S i g n a t u r eL i n e s
Quote
“What pulled the trigger was not cruel resentment, but a firm conviction toward Joseon's independence and peace in the East!”
Greeting
“Do not waste a single day. Youth does not return.”
“When the nation's survival is at stake, how can one cling to one's life?”
“East Asian peace — that is why I took up the gun.”
Roll Call
“Righteous soldiers, rise for Korea's independence.”
“Do not forget why I cut this finger. We must bear the nation's responsibility.”
“Those who will fulfill their duty as citizens — step forward.”
Deploy
“Advance for Korean independence!”
“Forward against the enemy of East Asian peace!”
“All righteous troops, move out!”
Victory
“If the cry of Korean independence reaches heaven, I will dance and shout manse.”
“Even in heaven, I will strive for the restoration of my country.”
“To see what is right and act on it — that is true victory.”
Draw
“It is not over yet. Compatriots, unite our strength.”
“We must share one mind and join our forces.”
“Do not retreat. Create the next opportunity.”
Defeat
“My body may fall, but Korea's spirit does not.”
“Today's defeat cannot stop tomorrow's independence.”
“I hope Korea and Japan will cooperate and bring peace to East Asia.”
Strike
“Fire! Daehan manse!”
“Charge at the enemy!”
“Righteous troops, advance!”
Quote
“What pulled the trigger was not cruel resentment, but a firm conviction toward Joseon's independence and peace in the East!”
Greeting
“Do not waste a single day. Youth does not return.”
“When the nation's survival is at stake, how can one cling to one's life?”
“East Asian peace — that is why I took up the gun.”
Roll Call
“Righteous soldiers, rise for Korea's independence.”
“Do not forget why I cut this finger. We must bear the nation's responsibility.”
“Those who will fulfill their duty as citizens — step forward.”
Deploy
“Advance for Korean independence!”
“Forward against the enemy of East Asian peace!”
“All righteous troops, move out!”
Victory
“If the cry of Korean independence reaches heaven, I will dance and shout manse.”
“Even in heaven, I will strive for the restoration of my country.”
“To see what is right and act on it — that is true victory.”
Draw
“It is not over yet. Compatriots, unite our strength.”
“We must share one mind and join our forces.”
“Do not retreat. Create the next opportunity.”
Defeat
“My body may fall, but Korea's spirit does not.”
“Today's defeat cannot stop tomorrow's independence.”
“I hope Korea and Japan will cooperate and bring peace to East Asia.”
Strike
“Fire! Daehan manse!”
“Charge at the enemy!”
“Righteous troops, advance!”
P e r s o n aA n a l y s i s
Overview
Peak courage and loyalty combine to form a conviction-warrior structure that transcends self-preservation. High reflection elevates his act beyond mere violence into ideology and peace theory. Strong social orientation completely subordinates personal interest to national cause as core identity.
Core Abilities
Command62
Martial70
Intellect75
Charm72
Inner Virtues
Temperance65
Diligence80
Reflection82
Courage95
Outer Virtues
Loyalty90
Benevolence78
Fairness79
Humility69
Core Disposition
Pessimism
Optimism
Conservative
Progressive
Individual
Social
Cautious
Bold
Similar Figures
Overview
Peak courage and loyalty combine to form a conviction-warrior structure that transcends self-preservation. High reflection elevates his act beyond mere violence into ideology and peace theory. Strong social orientation completely subordinates personal interest to national cause as core identity.
Core Abilities
Command62
Martial70
Intellect75
Charm72
Inner Virtues
Temperance65
Diligence80
Reflection82
Courage95
Outer Virtues
Loyalty90
Benevolence78
Fairness79
Humility69
Core Disposition
Pessimism
Optimism
Conservative
Progressive
Individual
Social
Cautious
Bold
Similar Figures
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