Kang Won-hyung (姜遠馨), a renowned independence activist, was born on February 19, 1862, in Sindong-ri, Gicheon-myeon, Chilgok County, Gyeongsangbuk-do. His family belonged to the Jinju Kang clan. Displaying exceptional filial piety and academic prowess from a young age, Kang was educated by his uncle and entered the Seonggyungwan Academy in 1888. In 1890, he achieved top honors in the state examination and was appointed Deputy Scribe at the Seungmunwon (Office of Diplomatic Correspondence).
As his career progressed, Kang took a strong stance on matters of state. In 1894, when the Donghak Peasant Revolution erupted, he submitted a memorial to the throne, attributing the turmoil to governmental corruption and advocating for systemic reform. After the Eulmi Incident in 1895, Kang condemned the atrocities committed by the Japanese and resigned from office, returning to his hometown. However, following King Gojong’s refuge at the Russian Legation in 1896, he traveled to Seoul and petitioned for the king’s return to the palace, urging reforms in governance, taxation, and public administration.
In 1905, following Japan’s forced signing of the Korea-Japan Protocol, Kang founded the Korean Thirteen Provinces Confucian Association to resist Japan’s encroachment. He sent official protests to the Japanese legation and demanded the release of fellow independence fighters who had been arrested by the Japanese military police. Despite his protests, Kang himself was imprisoned for 45 days.
Later that year, after the signing of the Eulsa Treaty, which formally deprived Korea of its sovereignty, Kang submitted a fervent appeal demanding the punishment of the “Five Eulsa Traitors” who had collaborated with Japan. He criticized the treaty as an illegal document that had been signed under coercion, calling for the execution of the traitors and international condemnation of Japan’s actions. His efforts resulted in his arrest by Japanese authorities in November 1905, where he was imprisoned for four months.
After Korea’s annexation by Japan in 1910, Kang, devastated by the loss of his nation’s sovereignty, met with comrades in Seoul to discuss ways to restore independence. However, as these efforts proved fruitless, he fell ill and, after four years of illness, passed away on September 25, 1914, in Gyeongseong-bu (modern-day Seoul). As he lay on his deathbed, he reassured his family but lamented that he could not live to see the restoration of his nation.
A memorial stone in his honor was erected in Sindong-ri, and in recognition of his contributions to the independence movement, Kang was posthumously awarded the Presidential Commendation in 1968 and the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1980.
Translation:
Since your return, many days have passed, but due to the lack of a reliable means of communication, my longing and admiration have only grown deeper. In the meantime, I trust that my esteemed father-in-law (聘祖主) remains in good health, that your service to our elders continues in peace, and that the entire household enjoys prosperity. My heart aches with longing, and I can hardly endure the separation.
As for your son-in-law, while my circumstances remain much the same, I must inform you that my new wife, having arrived here only two days ago, has been suffering greatly from a severe stomach ailment. Her vomiting has been so intense that she has completely lost her appetite, and on occasion, large masses seem to pass through her body, which is deeply distressing to witness.
Unfortunately, there are no medicinal herbs available here, so I have written a prescription and humbly request that you kindly have it filled at the pharmacy there and send it to us. Please receive this letter, and I earnestly implore your assistance.
Respectfully, your son-in-law Kang Won-hyung.
On the last day of the twelfth month of the Eul-Yu year.
