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Do-san Preface |
Do-san commemorates the pseudonym of the great patriot and educator Ahn Chang-Ho (1878-1938).
Ahn Chang-Ho was committed to preserving the Korean educational system during the Japanese occupation and was well known for sincerity and lack of pretense in dealing with others. A farmer's son, he abandoned traditional learning in his home town, Pyongyang, and studied for two years at a missionary school operated by the Salvation Army. He became a Christian and felt he could not hate the Japanese as men. He decided to seek a source of national strength and cultivate it to regain national independence and prosperity.
To understand the significance of Ahn Chang-Ho's achievements, one must understand the oppressive climate throughout the Korean peninsula during the Japanese occupation (1904-1945). During the occupation, the Japanese tried to eradicate Korean culture, literature historical records, and education. As a result, many refugees fled to China, Manchuria, United States, and other countries.
In 1894, at the age of 17, Ahn became a member of the Tongnip Hyophoe "Independence Association," which promoted independence from Japan and worked to reform domestic affairs and reduce dependence upon foreign countries. But the group's activities were interrupted by the conservative ruling class, so, Chai-pil, leader of the group, went into exile in the United States. This strengthened Ahn's belief that Koreans themselves were to blame their failures and thus victory must come from within. He returned to his home town and established the Chomjin School, the first private modern school established in Korea.
Among the first Koreans to emigrate to United States in 1902 were Ahn Chang-Ho and Rhee Syngman, who was later to become the first president of the Republic of Korea. Once in United States, Ahn Chang-Ho established groups within the Korean community in support of the independence of the Korean people. In 1903, Ahn organized a fraternity that became the Kungminhoe (Korean National Association), which inspired Korean immigrants toward a movement for national independence. The group published a newspaper called "Kongnip Shinmun."
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