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Diary of Kim Ku

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1947 autobiography of Kim Ku
Paekpŏm ilchi
Original copy
AuthorKim Ku
LanguageKorean (Hanja and Hangul)
Release number10
GenreAutobiography
PublishedDecember 15, 1947
PublisherNational Institute of Korean History (1947)
Publication placeWritten in China, published in South Korea
TextPaekpŏm ilchi at Wikisource
Diary of Kim Ku
Hangul백범일지
Hanja白凡逸志
Revised RomanizationBaekbeomilji
McCune–ReischauerPaekpŏmilchi

Paekpŏm ilchi (Korean: 『백범일지』), title translated as the Diary of Kim Ku or Diary of Kim Gu, is the Korean-language autobiography of Korean independence activist Kim Ku. It was written in two parts, with the first volume completed in 1929 and the second around 1942. Both volumes were published at once on December 15, 1947.

The book is considered a valuable resource for the study of the Korean independence movement. An original handwritten copy of the book was designated Cultural Treasure No. 1245 by the South Korean government on 12 June 1997.

Description

It consists of two volumes that were written at different periods of his life. The first volume was completed around 1929, and took around a year and two months to complete. It was originally not intended for widespread publication, as it was dedicated to his sons and focused more on his own life story. The second volume was completed around March 1942, according to Son Sae-il [ko]'s analysis, around 13 years after the first. It covers his life from his arrival in Shanghai in April 1919 until the foundation of the Korean Liberation Army in Chongqing in 1942. This volume was intended for a wider audience, especially because it was written after his children were already grown. The first volume was written using a pen, but the second using a brush, as Kim had grown accustomed to the calligraphy used in official documents of his allies, the Kuomintang.

Kim wrote several copies of the texts and distributed them as gifts to people before the official publication of the book. Both volumes were eventually first published for the general public on December 15, 1947, by the National Institute of Korean History.

Legacy

An original handwritten copy of the book was designated Cultural Treasure No. 1245 by the South Korean government on 12 June 1997. It is considered an important source of study for the Korean independence movement. A quote from the book often called "My Desire" is now considered famous in South Korea.

In 2009, it was translated into Mongolian and distributed to universities in Mongolia.

On 26 February 2019, the musician RM of BTS referenced a quote from the Paekpŏmilchi during an award acceptance speech.

Notes

  1. Also romanized as Paekpŏmilchi, Baekbeom ilji, and Baekbeomilji.

References

  1. ^ "Baekbeom ilji (Diary of Kim Gu), Volumes 1 (1929) and 2 (1943) - Heritage Search", Cultural Heritage Administration, archived from the original on 22 February 2023, retrieved 2023-02-22 Note: this source says the second volume was written in 1932, but this is impossible given that it covers events that happened after 1932. Likely a typo.
  2. 임, 중빈, "백범일지 (白凡逸志) Baekbeom Ilji", Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean), Academy of Korean Studies, retrieved 2024-07-15
  3. ^ Son, Sae-il (2007-07-02), "孫世一의 비교 傳記 (64)" [Son Sae-il's Comparative Critical Biography (64)], Monthly Chosun (in Korean), archived from the original on 20 March 2023, retrieved 2023-05-01
  4. "History". Kim Koo Foundation. Archived from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  5. "방탄소년단 RM '백범 김구' 말 인용한 수상 소감 화제 "오직 갖고 싶은 것은 높은 문화의 힘"" [RM of BTS Quoted Baekbeom Kim Gu in His Acceptance Speech "The Only Thing I Desire in Infinite Quantity is the Power of a Highly Developed Culture"]. 종합일간지 : 신문/웹/모바일 등 멀티 채널로 국내외 실시간 뉴스와 수준 높은 정보를 제공 (in Korean). 2019-02-27. Archived from the original on 7 July 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
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