26 Facts About Park Yong-man

Park Yong-man was a Korean nationalist and independence activist who, after spending time in prison for reformist activities, immigrated to the United States of America.

Park Yong-man was born on 2 July 1881 in Cheorwon, a rural town in Gangwon province to a family with military traditions.

Together with his uncle, Park Yong-man moved to Seoul, and then to Japan.

Park Yong-man developed reformist leanings while in Japan, and upon his return to Korea, around 1897, became involved with various reformist and protest movements.

Park Yong-man's activities were frowned upon by the government and Park was imprisoned.

Park Yong-man assisted Rhee in the writing of his book, and smuggled the manuscript out of prison upon his release around 1903.

Park Yong-man's uncle had by now returned to Korea, and Park joined him in Sonchon, in what is North Korea, and worked at a private school.

In late 1904 or early 1905, Park Yong-man emigrated to the United States of America.

Park Yong-man then moved to Denver, Colorado to again join his uncle, who had moved to the United States and was one of the first Korean immigrants to live in Denver.

Together with his uncle, Park Yong-man helped organise a Korean nationalist network in Denver.

However, when his uncle was assassinated in 1907, Park Yong-man subsequently returned to Nebraska, this time to Lincoln to study political and military science at the University of Nebraska.

Park Yong-man was a firm believer in military action against Japan in order to achieve an independent Korea, and such action clearly required trained fighters.

The KNA had one of its two headquarters in Hawaii, the other being in San Francisco, and Park Yong-man served as its vice-chairman for a time.

Also while in Hawaii, as Park Yong-man still considered that a military confrontation with Japan was likely, he established the Korean National Army Corps.

Park Yong-man wanted more compatriots to join the National Corps.

Park Yong-man advertised in an article in the National Newspaper that he would not stop those who still come and would accept them if they meet the qualifications.

Park Yong-man added that about 100 residents are finding joy in the midst of hardship by seeing the sights they saw at the Hwanghakjeong Training Center in Seoul and hearing the sounds they heard from the Three Military Branches.

From that day on, Yongman Park Yong-man's work became very busy.

Park Yong-man gradually fell out with Syngman Rhee and others in the KNA, who favored a more diplomatic solution to Korea's annexation by Japan.

Back in Korea, opposition to Japanese rule was increasing, and following the 1 March 1919 uprising which resulted in the Declaration of Independence, Park Yong-man translated the Declaration into English for publication in Honolulu.

Consequently, Park Yong-man appears to have considered his sojourn to Siberia as an ideal start to combating Japanese colonialism.

Park Yong-man was offered the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Provisional Government.

Park Yong-man, having finished his duties with the American Expeditionary Force, arrived in Shanghai in March 1920.

However, it seems that Park Yong-man was only part of the KPG for a few months, if at all.

Park Yong-man was involved with negotiations to form a secret mutual defense pact between the newly established KPG and the Soviets.

Park Yong-man was now based in Manchuria, spending time training recruits and preparing for a military campaign against Japan.