Peace in the East

A wide-ranging and multidimensional look at one of modern East Asia’s most divisive historical figures—national hero to some, terrorist assassin to others—this richly researched and fascinating collection of essays on An Chunggŭn offers surprising new perspectives not only on the man himself but also on the history of the region in the early twentieth century. -- Carter J. Eckert, Harvard University
An Chunggŭn is best known for a violent act in his 1909 assassination of Japan’s most revered diplomat, Itō Hirobumi. He is less known for the prison writings he compiled while awaiting his execution that reveal his aspiration for regional peace. The first English-language effort to discuss An and his writings, Peace in the East creatively weaves together examinations of his final thoughts as interpreted from a diverse array of perspectives. -- Mark Caprio, Rikkyo University
Thoughtfully framed, this fresh look at Korean independence fighter An Chunggŭn broadly conceptualizes his life and written work. Breaking free of the Korea versus Japan dynamic that stymies regional integration and understanding—as well as learning about An himself—the editors and authors of this timely volume situate An in the context of related anti-Japanese imperialist movements of the day, ranging from the Ryukyu Islands to Northeast China and within Japan itself. Moreover, they consider An Chunggŭn’s place and engagement with international peace movements such as the Red Cross, the Carnegie Endowment, the Nobel Peace Prize, and the Hague International Peace Conference. An is best understood, as one of one authors here explains, as promoting ‘an Asianism for organizing Korea, China, and Japan into a peaceful community of equals.’ That An Chunggŭn’s early twentieth-century vision On Peace in the East howled into the wind and ended in violence speaks only to the pressing need today continue to understand the alternate future for Asia he proposed. -- Alexis Dudden, University of Connecticut