On August 22, 1910, with the fabrication of "Treaty on Korea-Japan Annexation", Korea, boasting of its 5 000-year-long history, was reduced to a colony of the Japanese imperialists and the Korean people became colonial slaves.
The Japanese imperialists enforced the most barbarous colonial rule in Korea. They even forced the Korean teachers to wear military uniforms and to carry swords, to say nothing of administrative personnel, uttering that "Koreans should obey the Japanese law; otherwise, they should die."
However, the Korean people would rather die than kneel down before the enemy – it was their indomitable fighting spirit and patriotic will from the olden times.
The Korean people bravely waged various anti-Japanese struggles throughout the country to dispose of the Japanese imperialists, pro-Japanese stooges and national betrayers, and to regain the independence of the country.
There was Kang U Gyu, a 60-odd-year old anti-Japanese patriotic martyr, who threw a bomb at the enemy.
President
"Even Kang U Gyu who was in his sixties threw a bomb at the Japanese Governor-General Saito."
Born in 1855 at Murung-myon, Tokchon County, Phyongan Province (Namdok-dong, Tokchon City, South Phyongan Province today), Kang U Gyu moved to Hongwon, Hamgyong Province with his father when he was 30 years old.
There, Kang U Gyu set up a private school and devoted his all to education, thinking that cultivation of ability through education was the basis of independent national salvation even though he was farming and treating patients with Koryo medicine.
Being furious with the Japanese imperialists' brigandish "Korea-Japan annexation" in 1910, he moved to Beijiandao with his family in the spring of 1911.
Kang U Gyu set up the Kwangdong School (Sinhung Village, Yanji City, Jilin Province, China) in Juche 6 (1917) and directed special efforts to implanting national consciousness and anti-Japanese patriotic ideas in the heart of the youth and children.
The private school widely used the textbooks including "The new Independence History", "Osubulmang" and "The latest collection of songs", whose contents were run through with the deep hatred against the Japanese imperialists, clear consciousness of national independence and hope for national independence.
Anti-Japanese patriotic education at the private school made a great contribution to building up pure hatred and patriotic fighting spirit against the brigandish Japanese imperialists in the heart of the schoolchildren and inspiring them to the sacred war of independence against Japan.
Later, Kang U Gyu joined the "Old Men's Group", an organization fighting for independence formed in Vladivostok of the Maritime Territory of Russia, in Juche 8 (1919), and conducted various anti-Japanese patriotic activities for the restoration of national sovereignty.
Though he was 64 years old, he made up his mind to resolutely dispose of Saito Macodo when he heard the news that Saito had been appointed as the Governor-General III of Korea and came to Kyongsong in August Juche 8 (1919).
He left Vladivostok and arrived in Wonsan in June Juche 8 (1919). Arriving in Kyongsong early in August, Kang U Gyu, together with his colleagues Choe Ja Nam and Ho Hyong, made complete preparations after having information on the Governor-General's arrival at Kyongsong.
Finally, on September 2, Kang U Gyu went out to the South Gate Station, breaking through the strict guard of the Japanese gendarmes and policemen to throw a bomb of revenge at Saito when he was on his way from the special guest room to the carriage.
29 people including the Army General, Murada, and the military attache of the Government-General of Korea, who were there to greet Saito, were seriously or slightly injured by bomb fragments.
Two of them died in the hospital, and Saito narrowly escaped from death because the bomb fragments struck the knife he was carrying with him.
Kang U Gyu succeeded in breaking through the siege and hided himself for a while. But, he was arrested on September 17 and was executed in Sodaemun prison in November of the next year.
Even at the last moment, he fully demonstrated his patriotic will in his poem.
The spring breeze blows even to the scaffold
Here I am standing alive,
But I am the man without the country
How may I not feel sad
Kang U Gyu's bombing attack to Saito following the grand patriotic act of An Jung Gun, Jon Myong Un, Jang In Hwan, etc. was a significant event that clearly demonstrated the Korean nation's patriotism and anti-Japanese fighting spirit, which encouraged the people to the anti-Japanese struggle.
However, it was totally impossible to drive out the brigandish Japanese imperialists armed to the teeth and restore the sovereignty of the country in the way of such individual attacks.
Only when the driving force is fully prepared under the wise leadership of the prominent leader with the right strategy and tactics, can they accomplish the sacred cause of national liberation – this was the lesson and truth confirmed through the history of the anti-Japanese national struggle.
