The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-06-22
ALL ABOUT KOREArS PATRIOTIC
ASSASSINS WHO HAVE SWORN

They Murdered Stevens in San Fran
cisco and Shoot Soldiers on Sight
How Hymn Books Save Livcs-The
Soldiers and the Christians-An Adj
venture Of Our Consul General
Koreans No Allowed to Go to
America-The Unruly japanese Elezz
ment-MOney Sharks and Land
Grabbers Who Are Eating Korea.
(Copyright, 1909, by Frank G. Carpen-
teri
SEOUL. 1909.
The situation here in Korea is much
the same as that of the Philippines
at the close Of our war with Spain. 1t
is even worse on account OF the horde
Of low class Japanese who are over
running the country, and in many
cases %outraging the natives. The aver
age Korean cannot believe that Japan
is anxious to develop this country for
his good, and he considers it a patr1otlc
duty to drive out the sO-called invad-
ers. There are organized societies
of insurgents who have sworn to kill
any japanese soldier or citizen it they
catch him apart from his fellows.
Small bands of these societies are now
scattered all over Korea. They have
taken into their ranks the disaffected
and rascally officials who have lost
their jobs by the japanese taking hold
of the government, as Well as ldlers
and ex-sOldiers, and even the Ole
bandit element, which has for genera
tons preyed upon the country.
In the meantime. the japanese army.
is doing all it can to wipe out these
INSURGENTS. General H~asegawa, the
commander-in-chief, has something
like 200 men in the field. These
are scattered from one end of Korea
to the other, and they shoot or hang
the insurgents on sight. For a time
the military policy was to wipe out
every village which was found to be
harboring insurgents. and today all
who feed or conceal such l2en are
shot without mercy. Within the past
wear it is estimated hat something
like 10000 people have been killed
on the charge of being insurgents.
The chronicles, of the insurrections
and the number killed and
are published from day to, day in the
Seoul Press, which is the organ of the
government and foreigners III have
kept count tell me that the deaths
are running very close to Loo per
month. This seems an enormous
number, especially as the authorities
say hat the conditions are growing
better and better and that the rebels,
with the exception of bandits and pro-
~fessional b%rigands, have almost dis
appeared. There is no doubt but that
Japan must change Korea with a
strong hand if she would bring about
peace and order. but it is questionable
whether her methods are not over
severe.
Bibles Versus the Revolver.
And still the situation is serious.
There are, perhaps, fifteen million
people on this peninsula, and if the
rebellion is allowed to 20 on this guer-
rilla warfare will be continued for
years. The Koreans are, to some ex-
ent, divided up into parties. There
are a number Of p~rO-JapaneSe who
are accepting the situation, cutting off
their topknots and taking advantage
Of the new civilization. The rebels
consider these men traitor to their
country, and they shoot them even
more readily than the Japanese them
selves. At the same time the pro-Jap-
anese inform upon their enemies
among the insurgents and aid the SOL
diers in hunting them down. Indeed,
it is important for a Korean now trav-
cling over the country to show that he
is not in favor of the japanese gov
If he wears foreign clothes
: or has cut off his hair he is almost
sure to be spotted by the rebels,
sooner or later. and he may be shot
upon sight.
A curious phase of TINS situation is
tina the Korean Christians are sup
posed to be neutral or not in favor of
the Japanese government. For this
reason if a Korean traveller is met by
a band of insurgents he tries to con-
vince tnem tnal ne belongs 10 our
church. The rebels make him prove
his faith and demand that he sing a
hymn or recite the Lords prayer. He
is sometimes asked to say the Ten
Commandments as we'll. Indeed, an
increased demand for hymn books and
Bibles in Korea has sprung up, and
many who are not Christians buy
these to carry with them over the
country. They are better than re-
volvers and often save the life of the
owner.
The Emp Yung League.
The largest association of these
rebels is known as the Emp Yung
League. The people here pronounce
it Weep Yung. 1T means the ever