정미의병기 金東臣 의진의 항일투쟁과 재평가

Abstract

This paper reviews the activities of Kim Dong-shin’s righteous army in its fight against Japan. Kim Dong-shin began his activities from August 1907 (by the lunar calendar) to June 1908, when he was arrested due to his anti-Japanese efforts in the provinces of Chungcheong, Jeolla, and Gyeongsang. During this time, he sought to establish a long-term resistance strategy based in the Deogyusan and Jirisan Mountains. His efforts focused on engaging the Japanese military and police, recruiting military funds, and eliminating pseudo-righteous armies. Kim Dong-shin was a prominent figure among the righteous armies in the Honam region during the Jeongmi Righteous Army Uprising. However, like other righteous armies, his forces faced significant limitations. He had to rely heavily on local people for the munitions needed to fight against Japan, and he struggled to overcome Japanese oppression due to a lack of troops and weapons. Throughout his less than a year of active resistance, Kim Dong-shin’s army faced persistent pursuit and suppression by the Japanese, ultimately leading to his arrest in June 1908. Despite the relatively short duration of his military campaign, Kim Dong-shin’s efforts were significant. He was a pioneer of the righteous armies in the Honam region, even during the challenging period marked by the forced abdication of Emperor Gwangmu and the dissolution of the Korean army in 1907. At its peak, his force consisted of approximately 1,000 troops. Notably, key figures like Moon Tae-soo and Yoo Jong-hwan, who were either part of his army or allied with it, continued the fight even after his arrest. In this context, Kim Dong-shin was a trailblazer for the righteous armies in the Honam region, and his army served as the foundation for subsequent righteous armies in that area.