도산 안창호의 서대문형무소 투옥과 수감 생활

Abstract

This article summarized Dosan Ahn Chang-ho’s imprisonment at Seodaemoon Prison. Ahn Chang-ho’s records as a prisoner have been traced that he was arrested in Shanghai in 1932, repatriated to Seoul, Korea, and jailed in Seodaemun Prison and Daejeon Prison, that, after discharged from the prison, he was detained again in Seodaemun Prison in 1937, and that he was released on bail due to severe illness. We also investigated the realities of prison life and execution of sentence in those days that Dosan experienced through two imprisonments. Dosan had been jailed in prison four times for his life. Dosan was first arrested in Harbin on 26, October, 1909 when Ahn Jung-geun assassinated Itō Hirobumi, and he was repatriated to Pyongyang and jailed in Yeongdeungpo Prison. The second was the time he was arrested by Chinese police and detained in Jilin police detention facility in 1927 during delivering a speech at the Daidong Company located on the out of Daidong gate, Jilin province, Manchuria, being released after 20 days. The third imprisonment was the time he was arrested at the same day when Yun bong-gil’s heroic deed was arising, sentenced to four years in imprisonment, and jailed in Seodaemun Prison. He was repatriated to and released from Daejeon Prison. The fourth imprisonment was the time Dosan was arrested again by Japanese authorities for the ‘Dongwuhoe incident’ in June, 1937 and jailed again in Seodaemun Prison. By repatriating Dosan leading the movement in China to Korea, oppressing, and monitoring him in the prisons, the Japanese Empire tried to eradicate Dosan’s national impact and outstanding leadership on Korea’s independence movement. In spite of all kinds of splitting strategy and ideological conversion maneuvering on him, Dosan’s presence still shone as a symbol of national integration and solidarity. When confined in police and court detention facilities and jailed in prison, Dosan displayed an exemplary prison life not to worry his family and relatives. Dosan’s health, However, was too worsening to be restored during imprisonment. Preparing for invasion into China and spurring the japanization of Korea, the Japanese Empire which tried to eradicate all kinds of national movement for independence prosecuted Dosan for the violation of the Sedition Acts and jailed him in Seodaemun Prison. Dosan could no longer survive his terrible ordeal in prison and died after all. The realities of execution of sentence in those days were examined through the documents on Dosan’s prison life. During the Japanese colonization the prison was the place where governmental authority was the most threatening, but Korean people’s nationalism in the prisons was reaffirmed to remain alive. we could appreciate joys and sorrows and hardship of the jailed independence activists.