Park Jung yang

Early life

Bak Jungyang was born on May 3, 1874/2 in Yangju county, Gyeonggi province or Daegu. The origin of his family is unknown. His father supervised a rent farm and leased it out as well.

In his adolescence, he joined the Independence Club, but it was dispersed due to the repression of the Korean Empire. This caused Bak to be disappointed and left him with a bad feeling against the Korean Empire.

International study

In 1897, he was selected as a Korean state student to go abroad to study in Japan. Bak supported himself during the study, because his family was poor. From 1897 to 1900, he studied in the Aoyama middle school. In 1900, he entered Dokyo buki high school as a banking major. Then, he added a double-major in the Japanese police study there. After the graduation, Bak adopted Neo-Confucianism and the 'Theory of the national prosperity and the military power' from Ito Hirobumi.

At the time, he chose the Japanese name Yamamoto Shin. Bak also became a Japanese petty bureaucrat. He tried to introduce the parliamentary system to the Imperial Korean government, but the Korean government refused.

In 1903, he returned and passed the probation period as a civil officer of Imperial Korea. After returning to Korea, Bak continued to advocate a pro-Japanese position.

Korean Empire era

In 1903, Bak successfully filled various government posts, and was also appointed as a staff of the Public Administration Agency. In 1905, he served as a military interpreter during the Russo-Japanese War. In November 1905, he was appointed to the staff of the Farming, Commerce and Industry Department. He resigned when the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905 was signed. On May 5, he was appointed as an engineer of the National Defense Department (군부;軍部) engineer, and accompanied Prince Yi Kang to go to Japan. Two months later, he returned to his country.

In 1906, Bak was promoted to Governor of Daegu County. Then, after a short period, he was promoted again to the Acting Governor of the Gyeongsangbuk-do. During the term, Bak tore down the castle of Daegueup without official permission In early 1906, he applied for permission from the Korean government, but it was refused. The government tried to punish him for the action, but he acquired protection from Ito Hirobumi. Later, he modernized the Daegu city planning and road maintenance.

He strove in building modern hospitals, medicine schools and colleges, and successfully built the Dojin hospital and its affiliated medical school. He was also a supporter of the free press, including journals which satirized him. His idea was that the freedom of the press is a must to supervise the government.

In 1907, he became a governor of Phyeongannamto and Phyeonganpukto, and in 1910, the Governor of Chungcheongnam-do.

Japanese rule

When the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910 was signed in August, 1910, Bak remained as the Governor of Chungcheongnam-do until 1915. From 1916 to 1920, he was a member of Japanese Government-General of Korea's Privy Council. In 1919, he opposed the March 1st Movement, and founded the Refrain club on 6 April in response. His old friends Seo Jae-pil and Yun Chi-ho cut off relations with him due to this.

He was appointed as the Governor of Hwanghae Province in 1921, and the Governor of North Chungcheong Province in 1923 to 1925. After the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, he appealed to the Japanese government to release the arrested Koreans, and asserted that the Koreans were not involved in the criminal cases which occurred during the earthquake. In November 1924, he was accused in a sex abuse scandal, but the accuser woman suddenly died; three years later, the charge against him was dismissed. In 1928, he was re-appointed as the Governor of Hwanghae Province.

He governed the civilians through a regulated bureaucracy system, often with warning and several days of confinement instead of punishment, and suppressed the power of the Japanese police and soldiers to harass civilians, even putting them in confinement as well. Sometimes, the bureaucrats were imprisoned, but the Japanese police never arrested him, because he was especially trusted by the Japanese Governor-General of Korea, which pleased many Joseon people.

World War II era

In 1927 to 1939, he was a member of Japanese Government-General of Korea's Privy Council; and in 1936, the advisor of Japanese Government-General of Korea's Privy Council. Seven years later, he was elected as the vice-chairman of the council. In 1940, he changed name to Hochu Segeyo as per the Japanese Sōshi-kaimei.

In October 22, 1941, he was appointed as the adviser of the Fight-patriotic of Joseon Group, which merged with the Peoples Mind Alliance in January 1943. During the Asia-Pacific War, he contributed to encourage and comfort the Japanese troops, as in 1942 and 1943, when he was sent on a consolatory visit to the Japanese troops stationed in Singapore. In 1943, he was appointed as Vice-Chairman of Japanese Government-General of Korea's Privy Council. On 3 April 1945, he was elected as a congressman in the House of Peers.

Due to his cooperation with the Japanese Empire and the Japanese Governor-General of Korea, he was listed as a Pro-Japanese collaborators in Korea by the Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities in 2008.

Later years

Korea was liberated on August 15, 1945, after the end of World War II, but Bak stayed in Daegu. He mocked the Korean independence activists for talking about their heroic deeds in the independence battle.

After October 1945, as some pro-Japanese group begged for their lives, he ridiculed Korean resistance activists. On January 1, 1949, he was arrested by the police of National Traitor Special Punishment Committee and charged under the National Traitor Law. But, Bak maintained his innocence at the court and stood by his pro-Japanese belief.

The Joseon dynastys was society of more darkness, Japanese ruled time was reformed of modern Korea. Civil servants purpose was social welfare. Japanese ruled time was "squeeze the peoples blood's", it's assert that also unaware of politics meaning, prejudice of causeless Japanese hates.

In February 1949, he was released on bail due to bronchial pneumonia and asthma. Later, he continued to criticize President Syngman Rhee, Kim Gu, Lee See-yeong and Ham Tae-yeong as "patrioteers". In 1955, Rhee tried to confine Bak to a psychiatric hospital, but failed. Bak Jungyang died in Daegu on April 23, 1959 due to pneumonia.

Family

One version says he was an adopted son of Ito Hirobumi.

His first son Bak Munung was the succeeding mayor of Cheongdo, Cheongsong, Sangju, and Dalseong in North Gyeongsang Province in 1940s.

Pets

He had a pet named Stick Mr. Bak(박작대기/박짝대기). The pet was named because Bak always carried a long stick, sometime called the "Enlightened Stick".

Books