Douglas Story (1872. 12. 31. ~ 1921. 7. 7.)
As a correspondent for 《The Tribune》 in London, he supported the Korean independence movement by disclosing Emperor Gojong’s secret letter regarding the “Eulsa Restriction Treaty (Japan-Korea Treaty of 1905).”
Prior to the dispatch of the Hague Secret Emissary Affair, the incident involving Emperor Gojong’s secret letter occurred. 《The Tribune》 in London reported on the letter delivered to Douglas Story, arousing prolonged controversy.
In the letter, Emperor Gojong stated that since he had not affixed the seal to the Eulsa Restriction Treaty, Japan’s actions based on that treaty could not be recognized, and he expressed a desire for the protection and governance of the Great Powers for the next five years.
This was an attempt to widely publicize the unfairness of Japan’s invasion and stir up an international opinion.
The letter reported by journalist Douglas Story had a lasting impact, with newspapers from the UK, Korea, Japan, and China covering it for over a year, causing significant public debate. Particularly, British-run newspapers like Korean edition and English edition of 《The Korea Daily News》 in the country reported on the letter, spreading Emperor Gojong’s anti-Japanese invasion intentions.
Story compiled the series of articles published in the 《The Tribune》 into a book titled 《Tomorrow in the East》 in 1907. This book included vivid color photographs of Emperor Gojong’s letter and relentlessly argued for the authenticity of the letter’s contents, emphasizing Emperor Gojong’s sincere intention.
In 2015, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs awarded journalist Douglas Story with the “Order of Merit for National Foundation” for his contributions.