Chang-ho Ahn

Korean-born activist, politician, and educator

• Born: November 9, 1878
• Place of Birth: Kangso, Korea (now North Korea)
• Died: March 10, 1938
• Place of Death: Pusan, Korea (now South Korea)

One of the most influential Korean independence activists, Chang-ho Ahn became an inspiration for Koreans and Korean expatriates during the period of Japanese occupation. He helped Korean immigrants in the United States protect and develop their community, founded various political organizations, and played a crucial role in establishing the provisional government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai, China.

Areas of achievement: Activism, education, government and politics

Early Life

Chang-ho Ahn, also known by the pen name Dosan, was born on November 9, 1878, in Kangso, Korea, near present-day Pyongyang. Ahn was educated in Chinese and Korean classics from an early age. Following Japan’s victory in the Sino-Japanese War in 1895, he enrolled at Gusae Hakdang (Save the World School), which was run by American missionaries. There, Ahn studied Western civilization and science. He later converted to Christianity.

Ahn became a member of the Doklip Hyuphoe (Independence Club) in 1897 and was involved in organizing meetings and giving speeches around the country. He paid particular attention to promoting educational programs for the Korean youth and opened the first Korean coed school in his hometown, Kangso.

Ahn moved to San Francisco in 1902 with his wife, Yi Hye Ryon (Helen Lee Ahn), and worked at odd jobs to support his family and finance his continuing education.

Ahn became an influential figure in the Korean immigrant community in San Francisco, where he established the Friendship Society in 1903 to help Korean immigrants protect their rights and improve their living conditions. On April 1, 1905, he founded the Kongnip Hyop Hoe (Mutual Assistance Association), the first political organization for Koreans in America, becoming its first president. The association eventually merged with the United Korean Society of Hawaii in 1909 to become the Korean National Association (KNA).

Life’s Work

Through his involvement with various political and social organizations, Ahn soon became an influential figure in the Korean independence movement. In 1907, he and other leaders of the Mutual Assistance Association established the Shinminhoe (New Korea Society). When Korea became a Japanese protectorate in 1910, Ahn returned to his homeland and promoted the expansion of the New Korea Society, which aimed to help Koreans resist the Japanese occupation.

In 1910, Ahn was accused of taking part in the attempted assassination of Ito Hirobumi, the first resident-general of Korea, and was imprisoned for three months. After his release, he went into exile in the United States, where he organized the Heungsadan (Young Korean Academy) in Los Angeles in 1913. He also printed several Korean-language newspapers for fellow expatriates.

Upon learning of the March First Independence Movement of 1919, Ahn and many other Korean independence activists traveled to Shanghai, China, to contribute to the organization. The year 1919 also marked the birth of the provisional government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai. Ahn, one of the founding members, worked alongside many well-known patriots and activists. Although he resigned from the government in 1921 due to political infighting, he remained involved in the Korean independence movement.

In 1924, Ahn returned to the United States to publicize the activities of Korean independence organizations, in particular those of the Young Korean Academy. Two years later, he went back to Shanghai. He hoped to build an army base for independence activists and refugees in Manchuria, but his plan did not materialize.

Ahn was imprisoned several times during his life. In 1932, he and fellow Korean independence activist Bong-gil Yun were accused of participating in another assassination attempt. Ahn was arrested and served four years in prison. He was briefly imprisoned again in 1937. Released on bail due to ill health, Ahn died on March 10, 1938, at the age of fifty-nine.

Significance

Ahn was involved in the Korean independence movement throughout his life. His political activism was imbued with his Christian faith. He spent years working in support of educational programs both in and outside Korea. Ahn’s patriotic activities have subsequently earned recognition in his native country and in the United States. In 1973, a park in Seoul, South Korea, was named after Ahn. Ahn’s name is also memorialized on a section of highway in Los Angeles. In 2021, the Republic of Korea Navy honored the late activist and politician when it launched the ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho (SS-083), the first Dosan Ahn Changho-class submarine in its fleet.

Bibliography

Hyung-chan, Kim. Tosan Ahn Ch’ang-ho: A Profile of a Prophetic Patriot. Seoul: Tosan Memorial Foundation, 1996. Print.

Manaranche, Martin. "ROK Navy Commissions Her First KSS III Submarine." Naval News, 13 Aug. 2021, www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/08/rok-navy-commissions-her-first-kss-iii-submarine. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.

Pak, Jacqueline. “Cradle of the Covenant: Ahn Changho and the Christian Roots of Korean Constitution.” Christianity in Korea. Ed. Robert E. Buswell Jr. and Timothy S. Lee. Honolulu: U of Hawaii P, 2005. Print.

Zihn, Choi. “Early Korean Immigrants to America: Their Role in the Establishment of the Republic of Korea.” East Asian Review 14.2 (2002): 43–71. Print.