Kim Jwa-jin (November 24, 1889 – January 24, 1930) was a military leader during the Korean Empire and the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. He graduated from the Imperial Korean Military Academy and played a pivotal role as the commanding general in the victory at the Battle of Cheongsanri in 1920, where Korean forces defeated the Japanese army. Alongside Kim Dong-sam and Oh Dong-jin, he was hailed as one of Korea’s three great generals.
In 1906, at the age of 17, he freed his family’s servants and distributed land, embodying the spirit of noblesse oblige while leading efforts for national independence. Throughout his life, he was committed to arming and training independent forces, and in 1918, he signed the Declaration of Independence and served as a commander of the Northern Military Administration Office Army in 1919. In 1925, he founded the Shinminbu and established Seongdong Military Academy, dedicating himself to training future independence fighters.
However, on January 24, 1930, Kim was assassinated by Park Sang-sil, a member of the Korean Communist Youth Association. His final words were, “At a time when there is so much work to be done, I must die… it’s heartbreaking.” In recognition of his contributions, the South Korean government posthumously awarded him the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1962.
Translation:
To Chamwi,
As the year draws to a close and the weather turns colder, my longing for you grows even stronger. I hope you are taking good care of your parents, and that your aunt remains in good health, with all your family members well. Have you managed to prepare enough provisions to support your family through the winter? My heart, full of longing, knows no rest even from afar.
I have spent half a year here in Geumseong (錦城), but the climate does not agree with me, leaving me with a sense of suffocation and a blocked chest, yet what can be done? There are three or four plum trees where I stay, and despite the cold, they bloom fully, filling my heart with melancholy. As I stand facing the flowers, dressed in layers of robes, the flowers do not know that I have withered, and I do not understand that the flowers feel the chill. Thus, we share this sorrow together. This is simply how life is these days.
Dojong (our cousin) mentioned that his brother would hold his wedding sometime in the autumn. Has the wedding taken place in the meantime? I can only worry from afar without knowing the details. Next spring will be the celebration of your aunt’s 80th birthday, but after enduring so many hardships over the decades, I remember only the month, not the exact day. Please inform me of the date when you have a chance.
With this, I wish you to bid farewell to the old year, welcome the new one, and enjoy boundless blessings with your parents.
Your cousin, Kim Jwa-jin
