CRI

 [ABSTRACT]

Among the independence activists representing Chungcheongbuk-do is Bojae Yi Sang-seol (1870–1917), a native of Jincheon County. Renowned for his intellectual brilliance, he passed the last state civil service examination of the Joseon Dynasty and entered government service. Had he chosen to compromise with the spirit of the times, he could have enjoyed a smooth path to success and lived a secure and comfortable life as a high-ranking official. Even without holding public office, he could have lived in luxury on the vast fortune inherited from his adoptive father.

However, Yi Sang-seol was a figure endowed with the foresight to penetrate the grim realities of a nation in decline and the true intentions behind Japanese imperial aggression. He was deeply concerned about the fate of the country. More importantly, he did not remain at the level of contemplation alone; he never hesitated to live a life of action. As a result, he was able to play a pioneering role across multiple fronts in the early history of the Korean independence movement, including enlightenment, education, diplomacy, and armed struggle.

Due to the Hague Secret Emissary Affair, he was sentenced to death in absentia through a trial in absentia, and while in Russia, he also endured imprisonment as a result of Japanese deception. Despite repeated betrayals by the great powers in whom he had placed his hopes, and amid factional strife among independence activists themselves, Yi Sang-seol never lost hope. He even embraced factions that harbored jealousy toward him, striving to promote solidarity among the Korean people both at home and abroad. In light of the life he lived and from the standpoint of the present day, one of the most appropriate forms of recompense and honor would be to elevate his current decoration—

classified as a second-grade order—to a first-grade order (Order of the Republic of Korea). 

Accordingly, this paper may be regarded as a preliminary essay written with the aim of realizing this objective. This article examines the structural problems inherent in the current honors system, as 

well as the issues surrounding the initial decision on Yi Sang-seol’s decoration made in 1962, which resulted in his being placed at the second-grade level. It also closely analyzes the selection process itself. Furthermore, it notes that even at the time the honor was conferred, there were criticisms—most notably by Elder Kim Chang-suk—that Yi Sang-seol’s contributions had already been undervalued.

In Yi Sang-seol’s case, it can be said that the very first step in the implementation of honors was taken incorrectly, and that too much time has since passed. Since the year 2000, local governments across Korea have put forth various demands and undertaken diverse efforts to achieve upgrades in the honors conferred upon independence activists from their respective regions. Drawing on these precedents, it is necessary to develop differentiated strategies, and in some cases, to pursue proactive solidarity. Meanwhile, an amendment to the Decorations Act has been proposed to institutionally 

allow changes in the rank of decorations when new materials are discovered or when evaluations of historical figures change. At the same time, assessments of independence activists are moving beyond a narrow focus on armed struggle, with renewed attention being paid to the value of diplomacy, education, culture, ideology, and exile-based movements. To make effective use of these opportunities, it is essential to closely monitor the government’s policy direction. Above all, the study emphasizes the need to establish a governance framework between the public and private sectors—that is, between local governments and private organizations such as commemorative associations—through a clear division of roles, with research and the revitalization of commemorative projects placed at the center of these efforts.