An Junggeun calligraphy returns home: 'International law is no match for a great power's cannons'

"On Oct. 26, Meiji 42 (1909), the Korean An Junggeun killed Prince Ito (Ito Hirobumi) in Harbin. An was sentenced to death by the Lushun court the following February. On the eve of his death, he left dozens of calligraphic works. This piece is one of them."

These are some of the words written in ink on the back of an An Junggeun calligraphy work that recently returned to Korea. Ahead of Liberation Day, a calligraphic inscription in which An expressed his profound disillusionment with the powerlessness of international law — written in the final days before his death — has been repatriated from Japan and publicly revealed for the first time. The work has been authenticated with a confirmed provenance and is regarded as a cultural heritage of both independence-era significance and historical value.

The Cultural Heritage Administration on Thursday unveiled the repatriated calligraphy work "An Junggeun Calligraphy — Mangukgongbeop Bulyeo Daeppo" at Jungmyeongjeon Hall in Deoksugung Palace in Jung-gu, Seoul, in a joint event with the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation.

The work, created in 1910 on paper, measures 196.8 centimeters tall and 44.8 centimeters wide. "Mangukgongbeop" is the title of an international law text translated and published in China that was introduced to Korea in the late Joseon period. An's phrase "Mangukgongbeop Bulyeo Daeppo" means that international law — the law of nations — is no match for the cannons of the great powers. The eight-character inscription captures the deep skepticism An felt about the futility of international law after he was sentenced to death at Lushun Prison in February 1910.

In his treatise "On Peace in the East," written at Lushun Prison, An argued for the maintenance of peace and order in Asia under international law. Even after shooting Ito Hirobumi at Harbin Station on Oct. 26, 1909, he maintained that he had carried out a legitimate act of war in his capacity as a lieutenant general of the Korean Army and called for a trial conducted under international law. Japan rejected this and indicted him on a simple murder charge, seeking the death penalty. The eight characters of the calligraphy encapsulate that recognition of reality.

At the lower left of the work is An's distinctive handprint, his personal seal. Above it, an inscription reads "Gyeongsul samwol, eo Ryeosun okjung, Daehan gukmin An Junggeun seo" — indicating that An wrote the piece in the third month of 1910, just days before his death on March 26 of that year.

The calligraphy blends a running script base with elements of regular and cursive script. The eight characters, written in a single fluid motion, display An's distinctive brushwork. The cursive rendering of the character "man" in the main text matches what appears in "Hwanggeum Baengmanyang Bulyeo Ilgyoja," held by the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, and is regarded as a calligraphic style unique to An. Compared with other works already designated as national treasures, the piece shows a high degree of similarity in stroke handling, character composition and brushing speed, and the handprint also matches — all of which led to its authentication as a genuine work.

The work is also significant because the ink inscription on the reverse specifically identifies the original owner and traces the chain of custody. The inscription records four items: An's 1910 Harbin act and the subsequent execution; the identity of the original owner; the reasons the work was mounted and preserved; and details about the person who carried out the mounting.

From this, it can be established that the work, originally held by Kurihara Sadakichi, the warden of Lushun Prison, was passed to a person who identified himself as "Heungmun Gwangsaeng Noehyeop Ilin" — meaning a descendant of the Pyeong family and a man unbeholden to worldly gain — who then had it mounted and preserved. Kurihara is known through various accounts to have shown personal consideration toward An during his imprisonment, lending further clarity to the context and historical meaning of the work's transmission.

The existence of the repatriated work was first confirmed in May last year, when the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation obtained information through its local network in Japan. Following administrative support from the Cultural Heritage Administration and a thorough investigation and negotiations by the foundation, the work was successfully brought back to Korea in November of that year.

Cultural Heritage Administration Commissioner Heo Min said it was deeply meaningful to share with the public, ahead of Liberation Day, a precious cultural heritage that vividly conveys An Junggeun's passion for independence and peace. "I hope this unveiling will serve as an opportunity to reflect on the aspirations and dedication of our forebears in their struggle for liberation, and to inspire a sense of national pride," he said.

At the press unveiling, "An Junggeun Calligraphy — Iltong Cheonghwagong," designated a national treasure in 2022, was displayed alongside the newly repatriated work for comparative study. That piece was written by An in March 1910 for Kiyota, the head of the guard division at Lushun Prison, and carries the meaning "one who communicated daily in noble and refined words." Both works were produced in March 1910, embody An's vision of peace in East Asia, and share a confirmed provenance. The character "gong," which appears in both works, also allows for comparative research into An's distinctive calligraphic style.

The repatriation was funded through lottery proceeds. The Cultural Heritage Administration plans to continue working with the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation to strengthen its overseas network and bring more Korean cultural heritage back from abroad.

Park Jeonghye, chair of the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, said the foundation would continue to systematically identify and repatriate Korean cultural heritage held overseas in partnership with the Cultural Heritage Administration, and to share their value widely with the public.