The problem is how to unite the people and to build up military might strong enough to smash the
enemy. People firmly united would open up the means to develop military might, and military might
would drive out the enemy. Uniting the people behind a common cause cannot be done overnight; it is a
long term project and one must plan ahead. Father gave me this lesson many times when he held my
hand and climbed Mangyong Peak. His teachings were patriotism, patriotism and patriotism.
I remember Father saying in front of Grandpa and Grandma: "Why stay alive, if we cannot achieve
independence? Even if my body is cut into pieces, we must win our fight against the Japanese. If I am
killed by the Japanese, my son should take over the fight, and if my son is killed, his son should continue
the fight - until Korea is free of the Japanese".
Years later, I realized that our war of independence would take much longer than 3-4 years we had
anticipated and what my father was trying to say hit me. His saying applies equally well to our struggle
to unite Korea after Liberation. My father's favorite words - righteous aspirations, faith and conviction,
belief in Korea's independence - say it all. His attending Sungsil in spite of our family's dire financial
status was based on his righteous aspirations. During the span of ten years from the Kap-oh Reform of
1894 and the Ulsa Agreement, Korea saw wave after wave of well-intentioned innovation and
modernization moves.
Western-style schools such as Bai-je, Yi-wha and Yuk-young were established in Seoul, and American
missionary workers established Sungsil Middle School for evangelic reasons. Sungsil recruited students
from all parts of Korea. Youth thirsting for new forms of education flocked to Sungsil. Modern subjects
such as world history, algebra, geometry, physics, health science, biology, athletics and music were
taught at the school.
My father attended Sungsil because of the modern subjects taught there. He was not sold on the classical
form of education learning the Chinese classics and ethics. Even though Sunsil's primary mission was
evangelical, it graduated a number of prominent leaders of anti-Japan movements, including Song Jung
Do, vice chairman of the state council of the Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai, Cha Lee Suk,
a council member of the Provisional Government; Yun Dong Ju, a gifted patriotic poet, attended this
school. Kang Yang Yuk attended the special class of the school. At the time, this class was called
Sungsil Vocational School, equivalent to a middle school, run by Sunsil School. Because so many
patriots had graduated from it, the Japanese police called it the den of anti-Japanese rebels.
My father said: "Learn literature for Korea, learn scientific and engineering skills for Korea, have faith in
Heaven for the Heaven over Korea." My father preached his gospel to his fellow students and bound
together patriotic students into a close-knit circle of future leaders. Under Father's leadership, a book-
reading club and a friendship club were organized. The clubs were to instill and ferment Korean
nationalism, and also to engage in enlightenment activities in nearby villages. They believed that
educating the mass, living in age-old darkness, was their sacred duty and obligation. In December 1912,
the club members organized a mass student walkout in protest over the school's human rights violations
and exploitation of the student//(PAGE 19)
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