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영어

Donheon Im Byeong-chan was born in Okgu, Gunsan, and he became the leader of the righteous army. In 1906, he raised the righteous army in Taein with Myeonam(勉庵) Choi Ik-hyeon and was arrested and exiled to Tsushima Island and then came back the next year. Later, he organized Dokrip-Uigunbu(獨立義 軍府) getting a secret order from Gojong(高宗) in 1914. Sending a letter about the recovery of national sovereignty to the Joseon governor-general and Japanese Prime Minster, he was again exiled to Geomun Island for the violation of the Security Law and died there. The Taein Righteous Army raised in 1906 by Im Byeong-chan was the first righteous army raised in Jeonra-do after the Eulsa Treaty was concluded forcibly. And it was noticed early for the righteous army war that had influenced the other regions considerably. And the organization of Dokrip-Uigunbu in 1914 has been referred to as one of the representative monarchistic movements in the 1910’s. But Im Byeong-chan had to be labeled with his status all the time. As he was a local official(鄕吏), he could not get Gojong’s secret order even though he wanted to raise a righteous army. And at the uprising of the Taein Righteous Army, Gi Woo-man refused to join saying that Choi Ik-hyeon’s righteous army was, in fact, led by Im Byeong-chan, the local official. This continued even after his death. Even his descendants did not reveal his status openly, and the scholars have been introducing him as a person from a distinguished family. And there was another thing that kept following Im Byeong-chan. It was that he made Kim Gae-nam, the leader of the Donghak Peasant Army, get killed; they were saying that he lured him and informed on him to the police. It took place in Taein, the base of the Donghak Peasant Revolution, so Im Byeong-chan was underestimated even more. Of course, it was the greatest fault in his life that Im Byeong-chan did lure Kim Gae-nam and make him get killed. In consideration of his whole life, however, his contributions to the independence movement against Japan were great enough to cover that fault he made. He was exiled twice to Tsushima Island and Geomun Island, and he died for the country in the place of exile after all. And five years before the 3·1 Movement began, he suggested a new direction of the independence movement that was non-violent resistance in Korea. Therefore, from now on, we should think about Im Byeong-chan outside his status and the bridle of Kim Gae-nam to see the true aspects of his.