Woosa Kim Kyu-sik (1881. 1. 27. ~ 1950. 12. 10.)
Kim Kyu-sik is originally from Dongnae, Gyeongsangnam-do. The nickname ‘Woosa’ combines the characters for ‘excellent’ and ‘historical record’. It can be interpreted as a ‘great chronicler’.
In 1896, he went to the United States to study and graduated from Roanoke College. He obtained a master’s degree in English literature from Princeton University and returned to Korea.
In 1913, due to difficulties in domestic activities, he went to Shanghai and taught English literature to Koreans.
In June 1914, when the World War 1 broke out, he crossed over to Urga (now Ulaanbaatar), Mongolia in autumn with the purpose of establishing a military academy. To raise funds for the establishment, he personally engaged in fur trading and taught English at a Russian commercial school.
During his time, he traveled Hua Bei (Northern China), selling the Bible and Christian goods. And Shanghai, selling machinery, for two years, making contacts with figures in the independence movement.
He also worked in a trade company, Anderson & Meyer Company, as an accountant and secretary.
In 1918, he participated in the founding of the “New Korean Young Men’s Party” and continued his involvement in the independence movement along with Yeo Un-hyeong.
The Paris Peace Conference (1919):
The conference began on January 18, 1919, after the end of World War I, and was held by the Allied powers to address post-war issues. Its main objective was to restore international order based on President W. Wilson’s “Fourteen Points” and to handle the aftermath of the war.
*Principle of National Self-Determination:
Every nation has the right to determine its political destiny and should not be subject to interference by other nations.
In November 1918, upon the recommendation of Yeo Un-hyeong, Kim was dispatched to the Paris Peace Conference.
He arrived in Paris in March 1919 and established the office of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea’s diplomatic representative, the Paris Mission.
Although he knew he couldn’t attend the Paris Peace Conference as a representative, he strengthened diplomatic propaganda efforts and took the opportunity to raise awareness of the Korean independence issue within the international community.
There was an opinion that it seemed like striking a rock with an egg (Korean proverb, meaning ‘Banging one’s head against a brick wall’), but in the end, that demonstrated the struggle for independence of Korea, which shattered the rock with that egg.
Woosa Kim Kyu-sik, the member of Korean delegation and a diplomatic corp. Now it is your turn to complete what he had dreamed of for the better future!