An Jung-geun's 8 Characters Just Before Martyrdom Return to Homeland After 116 Years

[Movie Harbin: We cannot execute a prisoner captured under international law at will. (Bang, Bang) Lee Chang-seop: It is barbarism. A thousand words of international law fall to a single cannonball.]

General An Jung-geun developed this conviction of international law into his "On Oriental Peace," and left it in writing once again just before his martyrdom.

"International law is not as good as a cannon," lamenting the reality where international law falls short against cannons.

[Heo Min, Administrator of the Korea Heritage Service: As you know, after shooting Ito Hirobumi in Harbin, China on October 26, 1909, General An Jung-geun demanded a trial based on international law in his capacity as the chief of staff of the Korean Righteous Army, didn't he? That requested trial resulted in a death sentence for simple murder.]

The calligraphy containing General An's perception of this reality has returned to the country and been unveiled 116 years after his martyrdom.

On the lower left of the calligraphy, a handprint made by coating the palm with ink is clearly visible, and it is recorded that it was written by "Korean" An Jung-geun in March of Gyeongsul year, which is 1910.

[Chang Ji-hoon, Professor of Calligraphy at Kyonggi University: The handwriting is very stable and comfortable, and while it has linear elements, it also incorporates many rounded, curved elements, making it a work of exceptionally high completion.]

A distinguishing feature is that ink writing remains on the back, and Sadakichi Kurihara, the prison warden of Lushun Prison, appears to have been the first owner.

The previous owner is known to have purchased this calligraphy at an auction. After confirming the existence of the calligraphy in May of last year, the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation and the Korea Heritage Service succeeded in repatriating it last November.

Following the Harbin Uprising, General An was tried in a Japanese court in Lushun and left various pieces of calligraphy until his execution was carried out.

Among them, as many as 31 pieces are designated as Treasures.

Lamenting the Reality of "International Law"... Calligraphy of General An Jung-geun Returns Just Before Martyrdom (D Report, August 13, 2026)

Reported by Lee Joo-sang | Written by Choi Yun-seo | Video by Park Na-young | VJ: Oh Se-gwan | Video courtesy of CJ ENM | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.