Homer Hulbert testifying unidentified theft at German-Shanghai Bank Deposits of Korean King Gojung's fortunes...

From Ahn Jung-geun, Yoon Bong-gil to Yu Gwan-sun, Korean independence fighters during the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945) have been taught to youths for decades but not much has been known of one American’s contribution to the country’s liberation ― a man who told an AP reporter on his deathbed “I would rather be buried in Korea than in Westminster Abbey.”Overshadowed by his Korean compatriots, a recently published book written by Kim Dong-jin sheds light on the life of American missionary and journalist Homer B. Hulbert’s (1863-1949) 20-year efforts to modernize the Korean education system and spread the word on Japan’s forceful annexation of the peninsula.As one of the King Gojong’s envoys, Hulbert’s story has been rarely told.According to the book, he was at the forefront of establishing a modern educational system in Korea, as he believed it was the key to Korea’s independence from Japan’s rule.“Crusader for Korea” chronicles the life of Homer B. Hulbert, who devoted two decades of his life to working for Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule.                                      The True FriendHulbert’s role as a special envoy for King Gojong had a crucial impact on the fight for Korean liberation, the book says.While serving King Gojong as his special envoy and trusted aid, Hulbert was sent to Washington to meet U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt to deliver the king’s letter and request U.S. aid in stopping the Japanese annexation.His request was denied and a meeting with the President Roosevelt never happened.This resulted in the forced signing of the Eulsa Treaty in 1905 that stripped Korea of its sovereign rights.Hulbert later condemned the United States over the secret Taft-Katsura Agreement of 1905 which recognized Japan’s domination over Korea.This was in violation of the Korean-American Treaty of Amity and Commerce and led to the recognition Korea’s annexation to Japan.In 1907 Hulbert went to the Hague on the orders of King Gojong to attend the International Peace Conference, but he and fellow envoys Lee Jun, Lee Sang-seol and Lee Wi-jong were largely ignored.During his waning days, Hulbert said at a speech in Washington in 1942, “The King of Korea never surrendered to the Japanese. Never did he soil the sanctity of his regal office by voluntary consent. At the risk of his life, he approached the Peace Conference at the Hague without effect. At the risk of his life, he sent appeals to every chancellery in Europe, but enforced abdication prevented their delivery. He was marooned upon a throne.”Born in New Haven, Vermont to a Christian family in 1863, Hulbert studied at Dartmouth College before attending the Union Theological Seminary.Just after graduation, the 23 year old made his maiden voyage to Korea in 1886 along with Delzell A. Bunker and George W. Gilmore.The trio were soon after contracted by King Gojong to teach Korean students English at the Royal English College established by the Joseon-era king.The school opened three years later in 1886 with 35 students mostly from the noble class.The book’s author writes Hulbert laid the foundations for an education system inspired by the Western system, which included rules, regulations and curriculum.Subjects such as English, history, natural science, geography and mathematics were fine tuned by Hulbert and his colleagues.It was during this time he penned and published “Saminpilchi” or “Knowledge Necessary for All” ― a 161-page textbook that covered everything from world geography to military, government administration, industry, and education.He went on to publish 15 textbooks from 1906-1908, which included the history books, “The Passing of Korea” (1906) and “The History of Korea” (1905).One of the more controversial sections of the book is the coverage of the robbing of King Kojong’s savings.It uncovers Hulbert’s fight to recover the king’s privy purse, which had been pillaged by imperial Japan.According to the book, King Kojong deposited gold bullion and Japanese yen worth 510,000 German marks equivalent to 2 trillion won today after adjustment for inflation and interest accrued ― in the Deutsch Asiatische Bank in Shanghai in 1903 and it was forcibly taken by the Japanese in 1908.The deposit receipt Hulbert uncovered reads, “To be kept at the disposal of His Majesty the Emperor of Korea.”For the next 40 years Hulbert devoted his time to obtaining legal proof of the deposit to prove Japan’s illegal seizure.In 1949, four years after liberation, President Syngman Rhee invited Hulbert to Korea to commend him for the contributions he had made to the nation’s independence.But just a week after his arrival, Hulbert, by then 86 years old, passed away. He is buried in the Foreigners’ Cemetery in Seoul.Author Kim Dong-jin, chairman of URICH Investment Management Co., began his research into Hulbert’s life after reading “The Passing of Korea” during his college years as a law student at Konkuk University and later as a graduate student at Yonsei University Business School.Compelled by the story of a foreigner who dedicated a major part of his life to fighting for the liberation of Korea, Kim’s plunge into channeling Hulbert’s life into book format was a decade-long labor of love