The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-08-12
REBEL KIM Ok KUN.
How His Assassination in China
Affected Korean Affairs
SEOUL WENT MAD WITH JOY.
TIE Body was Cot Up snd the Pieces
Dissxfested-Jspes IL Assngtsg
His % zr6sT New.


spondsnce. I--OGe 81 the causes OF the
fsoubls between Japzn and Gains, and ths
beginning, IN fact. Of the present reaslsi0n
In Korea, vas the assassination OF An
on Kun GO Shanghai kin OK Aa1n
after his famous conspiracy IA kores beo
20 Japan, and ks was for long time Under
the protection Of the Jspsnsss govern
men. He vas ipveigie9 over 70 shsngfAs.
and was there sssassInstsd BY friend Of
the king Of Korea japan almost claimed
him a. . subject, and she thought that ns
rnurdsrer and his remains should hsFe
been carried 20 Tokyo II Hung 1hang
aided the Koreans In Transporting them
20 shis place, And the naltFeAfnent OF me
BODY Of kim vas probably foreseen - IA
Hang Chang when he gave the order foF
the Chinese vessel Of war 70 carry the body
70 Korea This eountry Is . strange mix
tars q oarbsrism and civilization IL
almost incredible that these pe0pls whose
souls are full Of poetry, whose tastes are.
l believe. naturally refined, and VINO
pride themselves on being disciples o. Con-
fucius should act IN the xsy they did VIE
kim Ok Kun. His body yss brought
here 10 Kores. IL vas cut into psecss and
the different parts OF IL hsEe been carried
over the country and hung up as 3 warn
ing 70 traitors above the biggest gates OF
the largest Of the Korean cities. Seoul
went mad With Joy when the news came
OF the assassination. Business was sus-
psnded. and the court devoted Itself 70
fsssting and dancing. am tod that 80
Of those fraiI professional maidens known
rs gesang or dancing girls were brought
into the palace In 9 single night. and when
I came here the other day from Chemulpo
passed one Of these Acknowledged beau
ties going back hSms after Der earousal AZ
tbs capital. She was on horseback. riding
astrIds, and she had q couple OF servants
with her.
The tale OF Kim Ok Kian'slife and death
reads more like g romance Of the dark ages
than the story Of actual doings In this
year OF our Lord eighteen ninesy-four. II
will hare a great influence on Korea's
future. and IA IL are comprised events
which have materially affected the govern
rnsnt OF this part Of the world China and
Japan are MIXED up in IL. aud IL is largely
the cause Of the war clouds which are now
lowering over Asia. Russia 10 deeply con-
cerned by IL. and England is nov trembl-
ing at the possibility OF It's results upon her
Indian empire. This little land Of Korea
IL ths key to Eastern Asia II the car
gets his hold upon IL, China viii probably
be subfuEated BY the Russians. and . door
will be opened for Russian army into
Hindoostan and Burmah. Korea IL with
in only Q few hours sail Of Japan Ii -
separated from China by wall OF stakes.
The lower boundary Of Siberia touches IL.
aud Russia. Japan and China would eli bs
glad TO call Korea theirs. The most fa-
nous statesmen Of the japanese empire
were, Il IL said. behind Kim Ok kinn's re-
bsIlion, and IL In charged that a Japanese
led the rebels in the fights with the kings
troops Of few days ago.
The rebellion of ten ysars ago and the
rsbsliion OF today are in the interests OF
modern progress. as far as the japanese
are concerned, and there Is no doubt but
that Korea viii come out Of the fight in q
bstter condition than abe has ever been in
the past. kim Oh Kun got bis idea Of
changing the Korean government and Of
the introduction Of Western civilization
through bis residences in Japan. He saw
what had been done there, and be tried to
play the same gams In Korea Less than
generation ago Japan was in almost rs
barbarous o condition as China 10 today.
1t was ruled By fsudal lords. and their
soldiers went about msitreating the COM
a
Was merely pnppst In the hsnds
Of the army. ana the real ruler
Was the oommander-in-chieg OF the
troops Now japan Is one OF the
civilised lands of the face OF the globe. 1t
has postal system as good a. ours Ii
has adopted the national banking system.
Its common schools and universities are
sverywhsre. Its people have their parlia-
meat and every Japanese has his rights
The cities turn oat newspapers by the MIL
lion q year. snd property l. safe. The
country is making money. It's one Of the
richest on the globe. aud its public debt is
practically nothing. The story of its
change is the most wonderful page Of his
tory. There 10 nothing like il. In the
space Of less than thirty years il has
jumped further on the road 81 civilization
than any other nation has done in Gene
turtles, snd today 10 Is more civilized than
any country outside OF Earope, except the
Unlied States 1t has fne army and q
powerful navy. and ik}Aa giantwhlch may
make China. Notwithstanding her mo cas.
knseL This revolution was accomplished
BY japanese statesmen. men who held
such positions a. Kim Ok Kun held in
Korea, aud 10 was from them that Kim
got bis idea OF notwithstanding his own
country.
Korea. like Japan, was FOR years shut
out from the rest Of the world. Forefwn-
srs dared not land upon its shores. No
one knew anything about ths land. In
fact. until twelve years ago, when our
own Admiral Shufedt male the 6rst
treaty and opened the country 10 the
civilized world Commodore Fsrrv. Won
know. opened lapans and the fact that
America Vas the frat 70 OPEN Korea and
that Is has always been friendly 20 al.
country il one OF the reasons whv tbs
kiaE would like g. have the United Stares
step in and help him in his fYresent
trouble. Before Korea had been 6pSpel
hoEever. kim OK Kun had told The king
Of the wonderful changes sh Al we're roIre
on In Japan. He hsa tsd there secret :
In order TO study is civilization. ana q
connection with another korean. named
so ksGnk Pom. had spent some yeaFS in
the country. They came back with A..
idea OF inducing the king - ADOPT It's
new civilization. AZ this fine hos.
ever. the kSng's father was practically 80
ruler Of horea. lie - a bad man. ara -
hates LhrNttaaity aud Western rnethe4s
lie Killed Thousands Of native ChriSt{ans
and be charged Nina with trying "a E.trr-
duee Christianity into Korea The resuft
vas taAt Aia came near losing his head.
aud he had - lee. The kings father ],
fact, fornentea 8 rebellion. ara durlng 80
The Nhinsse troops Ssre cslleA bv hiss into
Korea notninaliy 10 protect the ln.-.s,r,
he bad all ssoug favored CHINA. IA dr~.
Ing this rebaiiion lie tried 70 h,va ~.
queen killed. he fAglei in this. sn4 h "a.
through her family and friends thst -
revolution did not showed and ths -
MAS made the real ruler cf tAe peo.s.e "a
kiags father Was hzaishsa lie -, str,,a
rvt2Fned 10 Korea, ard saw him rI.firv
"a sssie the other day through IKE raala
skrNes u Se01t.
After the rebellion wSs over Eir,l M
sum KnH a Emauy Poe. a.s-. - 4