Jeon Myeong-un
Encyclopedia
Jeon Myeong-un was a Korea
n independence activist. He is best known along with Jang In-hwan
for his role in the 1908 assassination of Durham Stevens
, a former American
diplomat in Japan
who was later appointed as an advisor to the Joseon Dynasty
government.
Jeon was a member of the Gongnip Hyeophoe, a Korean American
association in the Bay Area. In March 1908, infuriated by Stevens' remarks claiming that common people in Korea welcomed the increasing Japanese influence in their country, the Gongnip Hyeophoe held a joint meeting with the Daedong Bogukhoe, another local association of Koreans of which Jang was a member. In a 1974 interview, Yang Ju-eun, a fellow attendee of that meeting, remembered that Jeon had a reputation in the community as a man of action, in contrast to Jang, whom he described as a "quiet and shy Christian gentleman".
On March 23, 1908, Jeon and Jang approached Stevens at the Port of San Francisco
as he prepared to embark on a ship bound for Washington, D.C. Jeon attempted to fire his revolver
at Stevens but his gun, which was wrapped in a handkerchief, would not fire. Jeon then rushed at Stevens and used his weapon as a club
to hit Stevens in the face. Jeon then ran off and was pursued by Stevens. Jang then fired at Stevens, the first bullet hit Jeon and two others struck Stevens in the back. The crowd which had gathered urged that they be lynched
on the spot; Jang was arrested and held without bail on a charge of murder, while Jeon was sent to the hospital for treatment. After the death of Stevens in hospital, Jeon provided a written statement in Korean detailing his reasons for the attack on Stevens, in which he asserted that Stevens had betrayed the trust of Koreans who "looked to him, as an American, for justice" and expressed his willingness to die in order to express his anger at Stevens' alleged falsehoods about the Korean peoples' condition under Japanese rule
. The statement was translated and first printed by the San Francisco Call
. There was insufficient evidence to prove that Jeon and Jang had conspired with each other; Jeon was still charged with attempted assassination, but eventually acquitted.
Jeon was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation
by South Korea
's Ministry of Patriots' and Veterans' Affairs
in 1962.
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n independence activist. He is best known along with Jang In-hwan
Jang In-hwan
Jang In-hwan was a Korean independence activist. He is best known along with Jeon Myeong-un for his role in the 1908 assassination of Japan lobbyist and former American diplomat Durham Stevens.-Incident:Jang, a Christian, emigrated from Korea to Hawaii in February 1905, and from there to the...
for his role in the 1908 assassination of Durham Stevens
Durham Stevens
Durham White Stevens was an American diplomat and later an employee of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs...
, a former American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
diplomat in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
who was later appointed as an advisor to the Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
government.
Jeon was a member of the Gongnip Hyeophoe, a Korean American
Korean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...
association in the Bay Area. In March 1908, infuriated by Stevens' remarks claiming that common people in Korea welcomed the increasing Japanese influence in their country, the Gongnip Hyeophoe held a joint meeting with the Daedong Bogukhoe, another local association of Koreans of which Jang was a member. In a 1974 interview, Yang Ju-eun, a fellow attendee of that meeting, remembered that Jeon had a reputation in the community as a man of action, in contrast to Jang, whom he described as a "quiet and shy Christian gentleman".
On March 23, 1908, Jeon and Jang approached Stevens at the Port of San Francisco
Port of San Francisco
The Port of San Francisco lies on the western edge of the San Francisco Bay near the Golden Gate. It has been called one of the three great natural harbors in the world, but it took two long centuries for navigators from Spain and England to find the anchorage originally called Yerba Buena...
as he prepared to embark on a ship bound for Washington, D.C. Jeon attempted to fire his revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
at Stevens but his gun, which was wrapped in a handkerchief, would not fire. Jeon then rushed at Stevens and used his weapon as a club
Pistol-whipping
Pistol-whipping is the act of using a handgun as a blunt weapon, wielding it as if it were a club or blackjack. "Pistol-whipping" and "to pistol-whip" were reported as "new words" of American speech in 1955, with cited usages from 1940s...
to hit Stevens in the face. Jeon then ran off and was pursued by Stevens. Jang then fired at Stevens, the first bullet hit Jeon and two others struck Stevens in the back. The crowd which had gathered urged that they be lynched
Lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial execution carried out by a mob, often by hanging, but also by burning at the stake or shooting, in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate, control, or otherwise manipulate a population of people. It is related to other means of social control that...
on the spot; Jang was arrested and held without bail on a charge of murder, while Jeon was sent to the hospital for treatment. After the death of Stevens in hospital, Jeon provided a written statement in Korean detailing his reasons for the attack on Stevens, in which he asserted that Stevens had betrayed the trust of Koreans who "looked to him, as an American, for justice" and expressed his willingness to die in order to express his anger at Stevens' alleged falsehoods about the Korean peoples' condition under Japanese rule
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
. The statement was translated and first printed by the San Francisco Call
San Francisco Call
The San Francisco Call was a newspaper that served San Francisco, California. Because of a succession of mergers with other newspapers, the paper variously came to be called The San Francisco Call & Post, the San Francisco Call-Bulletin, San Francisco News-Call Bulletin, and the News-Call Bulletin...
. There was insufficient evidence to prove that Jeon and Jang had conspired with each other; Jeon was still charged with attempted assassination, but eventually acquitted.
Jeon was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation
Order of Merit for National Foundation
The Order of Merit for National Foundation is an Order of South Korea. It is typically reserved for those who contributed to the founding of the modern Republic of Korea.It is awarded in five grades:...
by South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
's Ministry of Patriots' and Veterans' Affairs
Ministry of Patriots' and Veterans' Affairs (South Korea)
The Ministry of Patriots' and Veterans' Affairs is a government ministry of South Korea which handles veterans. It was established in August 1961 as the Soldiers' Affairs Agency.- External links :* *...
in 1962.