延秉煥의 생애와 민족운동

Abstract

Yeon, Byeong-hwan was born in the collective village of the Goksan Yeon Clan located in Seokgok-li, Doan-myeon, Jeungpyeong-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do in 1878. The analysis results of land ownership relations recorded in Gwangmuyangan(光武量案) reveal that he was in the level of middle-class farmers, which is understood as a background in which he was able to support the Independence Movement without being concerned about the livelihood of his family left in Korea after he moved to China. He went to a government-funded foreign language school around 1897 and worked as a Bangpan(幫判) at major maritime customs in Incheon and Busan after Gungnaebujusa(宮內府主事). It is also likely that he worked at Yangjiamun(量地衙門), helping the Korean minister to Japan perform his envoy duties in Japan. After his move to China in 1907, he became a leading figure in the Korean community, working at the customs of Andong(安東) and Longjing(龍井). He took care of foreign trade affairs based on his superior language skills and thus received considerably higher salaries than his colleagues. It was based on his economic leisure that he supported the Independence Movement. He was caught in the middle of March 13 Demonstration in Longjing in 1919 and suffered hardship. He then moved to the Shanghai(上海) customs. The ruling Japanese continued to chase and watch him, eventually driving him out to Sandu'ao(三都澳), Fuzhou(福州) that had nothing to do with the Independence Movement. He passed away in Shanghai in 1926. His remains were returned to South Korea in 2014 after 88 years of many twists and turns and put to eternal sleep. His national movement was continued by his younger brother, daughter and son-in-law, and granddaughter, shining further. It is thus right to evaluate him as the driving force of Independence Movement for his family as well as for himself.