Tour Through Time: Stop 15: War Memorial of Korea

A short 1 mile later and we arrive at a military museum known as the War Memorial of Korea. It was opened in 1994 on the site of army headquarters for the purpose of preventing war, exhibiting a vast array of memorabilia from Korea’s long military history.

One item on display is a full-sized replica of the famous Kobukson (turtle ship). It is commonly believed to be invented by Admiral Yi Soon-Sin, but he didn’t actually invent it, he merely improved on an earlier design. In 1592, after Yi Soon-Sin had been promoted to Commander of the Three Provinces by King Seonjo following the successful Battle of Okpo, Admiral Yi received reports from Admiral Won Gyun that Japanese ships had been sighted at Sacheon and sailed to meet them in would be his second battle. After surveying the area and spotting 12 large Japanese battleships near a cliff top where soldiers could shoot his ships from above he decided to instead lure the Japanese out to sea. The quick retreat by Yi Soon-Sin indeed caused the Japanese Commander to order part of his fleet to pursue. The Japanese began to catch up with them as the light began to fade, only for Admiral Yi to turn his fleet around, unleashing a hail of cannon balls and fire arrows which inflicted heavy damage on the Japanese. The Kobukson was a battleship with an iron spiked roof, a dragon head containing four canons at the front, and a further 26 canons spread all round the ship on all sides. It was a formidable ship that struck fear into the Japanese as it sailed through their fleet. Admiral Yi later wrote to King Seonjo “In this battle, the turtle ships carried out dramatically their mission as the vanguards when I faced the enemies. They were really successful”.

Another item found at the military museum is an exact replica of the Kwang-Gae-Toh Stele. The original Kwang-Gae-Toh Stele was built in 414AD by Kwang-Gae’s son, King Jangsu, and was discovered in 1875 by a Chinese Scholar in Manchuria. A stele is a tall stone slab erected for commemorative purposes, and is often inscribed with the names and a list of their deeds. This particular stele was inscribed with details of the reign of King Kwang-Gae, including a badly scratched passage which seems to imply that Japan conquered Baekje and Silla in 391AD, an implausible claim with no historical records to support it. This passage has been dismissed by Korean Scholars who believe it was intentionally defaced by the Imperial Japanese Army to give precedent for their occupation of Korea in the 20th century. King Kwang-Gae Toh Wang (a posthumous title roughly meaning “Very Greatest King, Broad Expander of Territory”) accomplished a great deal for the Kingdom of Goguryo in his 22 year reign, gaining a great deal of territory for Goguryo and making it a major power within the Three Kingdoms. He was one of only two Kings to have ever been given the addition title “the Great”; the other was King Se-Jong the Great of the Joseon Dynasty who invented the Korean alphabet.

We will be celebrating our arrival at the museum with a 1 minute wall sit, before continuing 2 miles east across the Han River to a memorial park in Seoul.

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Tour Through Time: Stop 14: Taehwagwan Restaurant

We have now reached the Taehwagwan Restaurant in Seoul, but we aren’t here for the food! We are here to remember an event which happened here back in 1919.

Koreans were fed up of the oppressive Japanese occupying their country and treating them like 3rd class citizens following the annexation of Korea in 1910. The suspicious death and suspected poisoning of Emperor Gojong on 21st January 1919 became the catalyst for Korean’s demanding their freedom. Korean media ran a series of articles based on American President Woodrow Wilson’s speech on The Fourteen Points at the Paris Peace Conference, where he spoke of the right of nations to self-determination.

In the Taehwagwan Restaurant at 2pm on 1st March 1919 the Korean Declaration of Independence as written by Korean historian Choe Nam-Seon was read out and signed by the 33 patriots. A copy was sent on to the 2nd Governor-General of Korea Yoshimichi Hasegawa.

“We herewith proclaim the independence of Korea and the liberty of the Korean people. This we proclaim to all the nations of the world in witness of human equality. This we proclaim to our descendants so that they may enjoy in perpetuity their inherent right to nationhood. In as much as this proclamation originates from our five-thousand-year history, in as much as it springs from the loyalty of twenty million people, in as much as it affirms our yearning for the advancement of everlasting liberty, in as much as it expresses our desire to take part in the global reform rooted in human conscience, it is the solemn will of heaven, the great tide of our age, and a just act necessary for the co-existence of all human-kind. Therefore, no power in this world can obstruct or suppress it!”

At the same time, student Chung Jae-Yong read the declaration to the crowds gathered in Pagoda Park, and other appointed delegates read it aloud to crowds of Koreans all over the country.

They movement leaders telephoned the central police station to inform them of their actions and were promptly arrested. Meanwhile, more than 1,500 protests, marches and demonstrations formed all over the country with approximately 2 million Koreans taking part. Japanese police could not suppress the non-violent protests and the army and navy were called in to assist. They fired into unarmed crowds and shocking stories of beatings, stabbings, beheadings and even crucifixions were reported back by American missionaries in Korea. In one village the entire population were herded into a locked church and which they burnt to the ground, shooting through the windows to prevent anyone escaping. Over 7,500 Koreans were killed by the Japanese, with a further 17,000 wounded and over 47,000 arrested. Many of those arrested were taking to the infamous Seodaemun Prison where they were tortured and many put to death at the “death house” without trial.

Korea was sadly not to gain its independence from the Japanese until 1945, but the Sam-Il movement of 1st March 1919 still resulted in some big changes for the Korean people. The Governor-General was replaced, the military police force was exchanged for a civilian police force, and some of the most objectionably rules imposed by the Japanese were lifted. As noted in our visit to Cho Man-Sik’s birthplace of Kangso-Kun, the peaceful resistance of the Sam-Il movement went on to inspire Mahatma Ghandi’s own non-violent resistance movement in India, and in 1949 the 1st March was designated a public holiday in Korea.

We will be marking our arrival here with 11 cossack squats before continuing 1 mile south to a museum.

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Tour Through Time: Stop 13: Goyang-Si

Well, we overshot that… a lot! We arrived in Goyang-Si about 50 miles ago and have had a lovely long run around the city! Goyang is situated in Northern South Korea and is one of the satellite cities of Seoul with a population of over 1 million.

We are here to visit the tomb of General Choi-Yong, who was born in 1316, the son of a government official. He lived his life by the motto his father gave him “look at gold as if it were stone” and always lived a simple lifestyle despite his wealth. He was a strong young man who diligently studied martial arts and military strategies. He inevitably moved quickly up the ranks of the Korean Army, famously fighting off Japanese pirates from the Korean coastline in 1350. Just two years later he helped crush a rebellion by Jo Il-Shin; and in another 3 years a second rebellion by a group known as the Red Turbans. Choi-Yong was at this point a national hero and very popular with King Gong-Min.

Later a rebellion in the Yuan Dynasty of China spilled into Goryeo Dynasty, and General Choi-Yong along with General Yi Seong-Gye were sent to help the Yuan forces as well as reclaim the areas of Goryeo which had been overrun by rebels. Following his victories here Choi-Yong reported back to King Gong-Min on the weakened state of the Yuan Dynasty. The King decided that now would be a good time to reclaim some of the northern territories Goryeo had lost to the Mongols, and dispatched General Choi-Yong who was successful in reclaiming many of the territories on the Korean side of the Yalu river. After becoming Mayor of Pyongyang, increasing crop production and ending a famine he returned to the military when court official Kim Yon-An tried and failed to overthrow the Goryeo Government with a Mongol force of over 10,000.

A Buddhist monk named Shin-Don was promoted to a high position in the Court by King Gong-Min. After having a dream in which a Buddhist monk saved his life, Choi-Yong thought the dream was coming true. The monk became a personal advisor to the King and worked hard to improve the lives of Goryeo peasants; but the power soon went to his head and he became corrupt. Choi-Yong joined many officials who vocally opposed him but Shin-Don engineered false allegations of misconduct against Choi-Yong and had him exiled. Choi-Yong was only able to return 6 years later when the King finally saw Shin-Don’s corruption and had him executed, restoring Choi-Yong’s position. Choi-Yong was tasked with driving Mongol forces from Goryeo owned Jeju island, but whilst he was winning here, Japanese pirates had managed to take the Goryeo city of Gongju. After being introduced to gun powder weapons by scientist Choe Mu-Seon, Choi-Yong returned and easily defeated the pirates.

Meanwhile, the Ming Dynasty had replaced the Yuan Dynasty of China and in 1388 sent an envoy to Goryeo to demand the territories previously taken were returned. As we discussed on our last stop at Sonjuk Bridge, Choi-Yong convinced the King to send Yi Seong-Gye and his troops to attack the Ming, only for Yi Seong-Gye to turn around and return to capital, storm the palace, de-throne the King and banish Choi-Yong to Goyang. He executed him by beheading a short while later in 1388. Choi-Yong is famously known to have said that grass would never grow on his grave due his unjust end, and in over 600 years since his death it never did.

Opinions of General Choi-Yong are as varied as they are General Yi Seong-Gye; both viewed by some as great devoted Generals, others as usurpers to the throne. His loyalty to the Kings may have varied but his loyalty to Goryeo never once wavered.

We will be marking our arrival here with 27 V Ups before continuing 11 miles south to a restaurant in Seoul.

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Tour Through Time: Stop 12: Sonjuk Bridge

After a brief 6 miles from the North-South Divide we arrive at Kaesong’s Sonjuk Bridge. This stone bridge was built in 1290, is 8.35m long and 3.36m wide. It was originally called the Sonji Bridge and is the assassination site of Jeong Mong-Ju.

Jeong Mong-Ju was born in Gyeongsang in 1337 during the Goryeo Dynasty. His pseudonym “Po-Eun” means “hidden treasure”. In 1350 when he was 23 he became a civil servant, passing his exams with the highest marks achievable. In 1367 at the age of 30 he taught Neo-Confucianism at the Gukjagam as well as holding his position in the government and being a servant of King U.

As King U had been placed on the throne by an anti-Ming group led by a High Government Official who had assassinated the former King, the Ming Dynasty became suspicious of the legitimacy of King U. 14 years into his reign the Ming established a command post in Northeast Korea which Goryeo saw as a threat. Soon a Ming envoy entered Goryeo and demanded a large area of territory be returned to them. General Choi-Yong convinced King U to send General Yi Seong-Gye and his army to attack the Ming’s, despite a previous government policy of never attacking neighbours. General Yi marched to meet the Ming but when he saw the size of the opposition he decided to turn them around. He marched back to the capital, stormed the palace, de-throned the King and banished General Choi-Yong. After using, exiling and murdering a couple of puppet Kings, he finally installed himself as King, thereby ending the Goryeo Dynasty and beginning the Joseon Dynasty.

Jeong Mong-Ju was fiercely loyal to the Goryeo Dynasty but King Yi Seong-Gye still thought highly of him. The King’s son, Yi Bang-Won, held a banquet for Jeong Mong-Ju to convince him to forget his loyalty to the former Dynasty. He recited a poem to him, saying “What if one goes this way, or that way? What if arrowroots of Mt. Mansu be tangled together? Tangled likewise, let us prosper for hundred years”. However, Jeong Mong-Ju replied “Though I may die and die again a hundred times, That my bones turn to dust, whether my soul remains or not, Ever loyal to my Lord, how can this red heart ever fade away?”.

Yi Bang-Won ordered his assassination, and on his way home from the banquet, on 4th April 1392, Jeong Mong-Ju was ambushed by five men and brutally murdered with an iron hammer. King Yi Seong-Gye is said to have lamented his death and rebuked his son for his actions because Jeong Mong-Ju was highly regarded by the common people

His death later came to symbolise unwavering loyalty. A brown spot on one of the stones is said to be his bloodstain and becomes red when it rains. Bamboo also grew at the site where he was killed. As “juk” is the Korean word for bamboo the bridge was renamed the Sonjuk Bridge and was closed to traffic in 1780 as a national monument. Over the years various other monuments have been erected near the bridge including two lion-turtles in the Pyonchung Pavillion opposite, one erected in 1740 by King Yeongjo and the other in 1872 by King Gojong, both housing a stone tablet (stele) upon its back.

We mark our arrival with 6 glute bridge variations before continuing 27 miles south to a burial site.

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Tour Through Time: Stop 11: Kaesong Checkpoint

We have completed our 102 mile run along the North-South Divide and have reached the Westernmost checkpoint at Kaesong.

General Choi always dreamt of seeing his country reunited; despite being born in North Korea he always saw himself simply as “Korean” and deeply hoped that the Tae Kwon-Do he developed would play a part in Korea’s unification.

Pattern Tong Il was created in Malaysia in the early 1960’s as the final pattern of Ch’ang Hon Tae Kwon-Do, representing the unification of North and South Korea into one nation. Some of the movements of this pattern are said to be significant; the first two moves symbolising the two Korea’s being divided for too long, the third move and change in tempo supposedly representing North Korea’s instigation of the Korean War, the various stamps symbolising Choi’s anger and frustration, and the high twin vertical punch with stamp on move 38 representing the breaking of the 38th parallel. Interestingly, pattern Tong Il had the highest number of revisions out of all the patterns. Perhaps it was Choi wanting it to better represent his dream, perhaps it was just due to technical advances in Tae Kwon-Do, we will never know for sure.

Sadly, Choi passed away on 15th June 2002, with his dream remaining just that; but the patterns remain a reminder that he was not alone in his dream. From the creation of the world and the formation of the Korea in Chon Ji and Dan Gun, through Korean history, it would seem poetic to finish on Tong Il; but that it neither the final pattern in our Tae Kwon-Do, nor the end of our journey.

We are celebrating our arrival at the last checkpoint of the North-South Divide with 102 Ab Splits and continue a very brief 6 miles north to visit Kaesong’s famous bridge.

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