North Gyeongsang foundation announces national heritage designation for Andong militia roster

The North Gyeongsang Province Patriots and Veterans Foundation announced Friday that the "Andong Uiso Parok," held in the collection of the North Gyeongsang Province Independence Movement Memorial Hall, has been designated a nationally registered cultural heritage asset.

The Andong Uiso Parok is a document compiled by the Andong Uiso, a body formed in late 1895 in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, to discuss and prepare for a righteous army uprising. It records the command positions and roster of participants in the militia unit.

The document lists 46 members of the command structure and 27 positions within the first Andong righteous army, making it a key primary source for understanding the organization, personnel composition and operational structure of the Andong militia.

The artifact was collected and preserved by Park Han-seol, a former professor in the department of Korean history at Gangwon National University, who later donated it to the North Gyeongsang Province Independence Movement Memorial Hall in support of the institution's founding mission of research and preservation.

The Andong righteous army was formed primarily by Confucian scholars in the Andong region who rose up in resistance to the assassination of Empress Myeongseong and the promulgation of the hair-cutting decree.

Discussions about launching an armed uprising began in earnest around the 12th lunar month of 1895. On Jan. 17, 1896, representatives of Andong's Confucian community gathered at Bongjeongsa temple and agreed to raise a righteous army.

Three days later, on Jan. 20, a rally was held in Andong to formally organize the militia, and Kwon Se-yeon of Yugok in Bonghwa was acclaimed as commander.

Kwon issued a proclamation calling on Confucian scholars and militia fighters across the region to converge on Andong.

That same night, Andong Provincial Governor Kim Seok-jung fled the city. On Jan. 21, the Andong righteous army formally organized its military units and established its main command structure.

The document recording the command hierarchy, positions and roster of participants established at that time is the Andong Uiso Parok.

The document lists a total of 27 positions held by 46 individuals. Commander Kwon Se-yeon and Deputy Commander Gwak Jong-seok headed the force, supported by staff officers Ryu Yeon-bak, Lee Sang-gi, Ryu Seon-yeong and Kwon Byeong-chu; interior commanders Kim Jin-rim and Kim Jin-ui; exterior commanders Gang Dam and Ryu Eung-mok; and left and right wing commanders Lee Un-ho and Kwon Yong-hyeon.

The roster also included Vanguard Commander Kim Ik-jang, Assault Commander Kwon Jin-sun, Guerrilla Commanders Kim Hoe-rak and Kwon In-sul, Artillery Commander Kwon Jae-chu, Scout Commander Kim Hong-rak and Recruitment Commander Kwon Ok-yeon.

Administrative roles were filled by Chief Secretary Ryu Jeong-ho and four others, eight secretaries led by Lee Un-gu, three protocol officers led by Kim Ju-byeong, three adjutants led by Lee Jung-sam, and additional figures including Ryu Heon-ho assigned to positions overseeing orders, the central army, provisions, supplies, general command and daily duty.

The Andong Uiso Parok is considered highly valuable because its authorship, date of composition and documentary character are clearly established, and the original has been preserved intact.

It is the only known document to record in detail the command positions and participant roster of the first Andong righteous army's leadership, allowing researchers to empirically verify the militia's organizational structure, personnel composition, command hierarchy and operational methods. By comparing the initial organization with later restructured formations, scholars can also trace how the Andong righteous army evolved over time. The document further serves as an important reference for estimating and comparing the command structures and organizational systems of other regional Eulmi righteous armies.

Han Hee-won, chief executive of the North Gyeongsang Province Patriots and Veterans Foundation, said the designation "carries great significance in that the historical and academic value of the righteous army history of Andong and North Gyeongsang Province has been recognized at the national level."