초록 열기/닫기 버튼

This study is intended to evaluate Seokjung Kim through his confrontation with the Righteous Armies of Andong. The process of the confrontation can be summarized as follows. Seokjung Kim was assigned as governor of Andong-bu and came to Andong in May, 1895. It was in January, 1896 that his confrontation with the Righteous Armies of Andong began. It was the time when the official document with ‘the order of cutting hair short(斷髮令)’ arrived at the office of Andong-bu, and when Governor Seokjung Kim was about to conduct ‘the order of cutting hair short’. As a result, Righteous Armies were formed, and they tried to arrest Seokjung Kim. Low-ranking public officials, Ajeons(衙前) joined the Righteous Armies to arrest the governor. Finally, Seokjung Kim fled away from Andong on January 20. On January 30, Seokjung Kim returned to Andong-bu Office supported by the royal bodyguards, the government troops, and the Japanese army. He himself obeyed the order of cutting hair short, and had his hair cut short on February 6. Starting from this event, the order of cutting hair short was forcefully conducted in the area of Andong-bu. With this order of cutting hair short forcefully conducted by using the power of the government troops and the royal bodyguards, Righteous Armies were formed again. In the end, on February 18, Seokjung Kim fled away from Andong once again. At this, the Righteous Armies offered prize money for arresting Seokjung Kim, who tried to go to HanSung-bu(Seoul), without any help from Japanese army. On the way to HanSung-bu, he was captured by the Righteous Armies of Mungyeong and executed on February 25. Seokjung Kim was a temporizer who was loyal to the king and pro-Japanese. As he conducted the order of cutting hair short, and suppressed Righteous Armies obeying the king’s words, he is said to have been a royalist. To enforce the king’s order effectively, he used military force and forcefully conducted the order of cutting hair short. As he took advantage of the Japanese army’s powerful fire arms to achieve his objets effectively, he is said to have been pro-Japanese. As seen above, in that he would not miss opportunities but utilize them, he is said to have been a temporizer.