“My Wish is the Complete Independence of My Country Korea”
Modern Korean history is largely defined as a period of turbulence and uncertainty. Over the course of Korean history, many individuals willingly sacrificed their lives for the sake of achieving peace on the peninsula. Among others, Kim Gu is one of the most respected Korean nationalists who fought for peace and independence of Korea. In his autobiography Baekbomilji or “Journal of Baekbom” (백범일지 白凡逸志), Kim Gu writes:

If god asked me what was my wish, I would reply unhesitatingly, “Korean independence.”
If he asked me what was my second wish, I would again answer, “My country's independence.”
If he asked me what was my third wish, I would reply in an even louder voice, “My wish is the complete independence of my country Korea.”
(Source: official English translation of the autobiography published in the website www.kimkoomuseum.org)

Driven by his wish, Kim dedicated his life for the establishment of peace on the Korean peninsula.

From Changahm to Baekbom
Kim Gu was born in 1876 in Haeju, South Hwanghae Province. At birth, Kim was given the name Kim Changahm, and at the age of 9, Kim started to learn Chinese classic texts. At the age of 16, Kim took the Gwageo (과거), the last imperial examination of the Joseon Dynasty, but failed. At the time, bribery was rampant in the country--people often paid money in exchange for earning a seat in the government. Upset with the idea, Changahm joined the Donghak (동학 “Eastern Learning”)religious movement in 1877. In 1896, Kim Gu attacked and killed a Japanese man who was disguised as a Korean, believing that the man was involved in the assassination of Empress Myeongseong, the wife of Emperor Gojong. Kim was soon sentenced to death, but his execution was formally suspended at the order of Emperor Gojong.

In 1911, Kim, along with a group of Korean independence activists, plotted a scheme to assassinate Japanese Governor-General Terauchi Masatake. Kim was jailed three times and while in prison, Kim changed his name from Changahm to Baekbom Kim Gu. Kim gave himself the pen name “Baekbom” which meant “ordinary person,” and hoped that every ordinary Korean citizen would be as patriotic and nationalistic as he was.

Kim Gu, the Leader of Korean Independence Movement
After being released from prison, Kim Gu was involved in the 1919 March 1st movement, a nationwide non-violent independence uprising, and lived in exile in Shanghai, China, where he joined the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. Kim Gu was appointed as the Police Minister and was later elected as the president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.

In 1931, when the Japanese forces invaded Manchuria, Kim exercised great leadership skills and further promoted Korean independence movements across the country. Kim founded a nationalist group called the Korean Patriotic Corps (한인애국단) and under Kim’s guidance, its members such as Lee Bong-chang and Yoon Bong-gil carried out resistance works to eliminate Japanese leadership. Kim was also involved in establishing the Korean Liberation Army and on December 9, 1941, Kim declared war on Japan and Germany. Kim ordered the Liberation Army’s parachute troops to advance to Korea in 1945, but the war ended when the Japanese forces surrendered to the Allies earlier than expected. In 1949, Kim was assassinated by Ahn Doo-hee.

The autobiography of Kim, Bakebomilji, was completed over the course of 20 years since Kim began writing the preface in Shanghai in 1929. Since its publication in 1947, the written account of Kim’s life has inspired and motivated millions of Korean people. In his autobiography, Kim claims that he has only done what any other ordinary Korean would have done, and stresses the importance of passing on a spirit of patriotism and nationalism for our descendents.