조지 엘 쇼(George L. Shaw)의 한국독립운동 지원활동과 그 의의

George Lewis Shaw’s Support of the Korean Independence Movement and its Meaning

While running a business in Yi-lyung Company(Yilyungyanghaeng), George L. Shaw made a significant contribution to connecting the Korean Independence Movement of the Korean Provisional Government into the country as well as expanding it toward the Machuria area. Due to his effort to make the Korean Peninsula independent, he was imprisoned in July 1920 by the Japanese imperialists and was freed on bail in four months. This article, based on the materials from the Diplomatic Record Office of Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will provide a new aspect and meaning of the Korean Independence Movement by examining the arrestment and release process of Shaw, and the diplomatic dispute over the matter between the UK and Japan. Shaw, who established Kyotongguk of Korean Provisional Government in Yi-lyung Company and supported its independence movement, was arrested when he came to Korea to pay a visit to his family. Japanese police could capture him intentionally since it had acquired the information of his visitation in advance. A dispute over his arrestment and confinement heated Chosun Government General. The final decision-maker was the Governor-general Saito Kakoto. Since his arrestment, the Chosun Government General indicted all the cabinet of the Korean Provisional Government and major leaders of independence movement groups on the charge of the crime against the safety of a state. The indictment was conducted on the purpose of shutting off the movement of Korean independence. Apart from the Chosun Government General, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affair had a negative view on his arrestment and confinement. UK recognized his being arrested as a misdeed to damage the prestige of its people, persisting Japan to set him free since his arrestment. The speech and public opinion in UK leveled the criticism at Japanese management and anti-Japanese sentiments came to be increased as well. The injustice of Japan ruling over the Korean Peninsula was publicized widely so that people started to take a look at the Korean Independence Movement. As things were going against their will, Japanese government made a decision to deal with the Shaw-related problem promptly in the name of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance promotion. On November 19, Shaw was released on bail. However, the British government asserted Shaw’s innocence, and demanded to return the bail money, which indicated the Japanese Government should cancel his bail. In other words it meant an absolute release of him from Japan. The Japanese rejected this demand at first but in the end they closed the case by returning the bail money to him.