Soongeui School for Girls was the cradle for modern national female education along with Ewha School for Girls, Baewha School for Girls and Chungshin School for Girls. Ewha School for Girls, Baewha School for Girls and Chungshin School for Girls were ...
Soongeui School for Girls was the cradle for modern national female education along with Ewha School for Girls, Baewha School for Girls and Chungshin School for Girls. Ewha School for Girls, Baewha School for Girls and Chungshin School for Girls were founded in Seoul, therefore were less affected by the division of Korea into north and south and developed and remained their status after the division as Korea's representatives of female educational institutions. In the case of Soongeui School for Girls, however, it was established first at Pyongyang and was relocated to Seoul after liberation, therefore its influence as one of the representative figures of female educational institutions was reduced. Soongeui School for Girls was comparable to Ewha School for Girls, Baewha School for Girls and Chungshin School for Girls as modern national female educational institution in terms of its role and influence before liberation when Korea was not divided into north and south. Furthermore, in the aspect of anti-Japanese movement such as 'Refusal of Shinto shrine worship', Soongeui School for Girls was prominent among modern educational institutions. Despite the fact, however, it has not received much attention in learned circles of Korean history, for the school was founded at Pyongyang and therefore its current influence was reduced. Consequently, this study aims to examine the role and influence of Soongeui School for Girls as modern national female educational institution and to shed new light on its significance in Korean history of anti-Japanese movement.
Academic circle's research on anti-Japanese student movement during colonial period is considerably progressed, but it is required to look into anti-Japanese student movement and movement of Shinto shrine worship rejection during the colonial period in order to examine the role and influence of modern national female educational institution. Soongeui School for Girls, as opposed to Ewha School for Girls and Baewha School for Girls, appears in researches on history of anti-Japanese movement and the proportion it held in anti-Japanese movement history was prominent even when compared with other schools that represented Pyongyang at that time such as Kwangsung School, Pyongyang School of Education, Pyongyang Unapproved School.
Soongeui School for Girls was originally established as Christian school but began to produce the first enlightened modern women by providing modern education to Chosun women. Then the Chosun women enlightened through Soongeui School for Girls' modern education grew naturally as national leaders of anti-Japanese female movement during colonial period.
While most of the schools in Chosun changed into unapproved schools under Japanese coercion, Soongeui School for Girls endured the disadvantages such as graduates' limits to enter colleges and barriers in employments, refused to change into unapproved school, and remained as miscellaneous school and later chose to become an diploma-approved school over the course of resisting against Japanese education control policy. During this period, dormitory of Soongeui school for Girls was a sacred place for anti-Japanese national education, its example being the school becoming the birthplace of Songjuk Death Band.
Songjuk Death Band was founded in 1913 with teachers of Soongeui School of Girls, HWANG Esther, KIM Kyeong Hui, PARK Jung Suk, being the center figures. The band showed boldness through raising and delivering of independence movement fund, and played huge role in independence hurrah demonstration, funding Shanghai provisional government, organizing the Daehan Women's National Patriotic Association. Afterwards, when the center figures of Songjuk Death Band were arrested and confined by the Japanese police and therefore activities were harder to be carried out, Kyulbaek Association inherited the spirit and movement of Songjuk Death Band, and thus continued with fund-raising for independence movement and also carried out internal reformation such as enlightenment of farmers or improvement of living conditions. Soongeui School for Girls took the lead of Pyongyang independence hurrah demonstration, which was one of the nationwide independence movement during colonial period that took place from 1919 to 1930, and lead Chosun female anti-Japanese movement and other national activities.
Meanwhile, educational activities and extracurricular activities of Soongeui School for Girls were as modern as today's activities and extracurricular activities putting emphasis on physical education were sufficient to plant forward-looking images of female to Chosun women under Japanese colonial rule.
After 1930s, when suppression and surveillance of Japanese forces were strengthened, a lot of students took parts in v narod movement of the Dong-A Daily News and eradication movement of iliteracy by the Chosun Daily News. Majority of students in Soongeui School for Girls participated in eradication movement of iliteracy by the Chosun Daily News, making efforts to inspire national consciousness of laborers and farmers.
Soongeui School for Girls continuously refused Japan's obstinate and oppressive demand to worship Shinto shrine. When the founder and administrator of the school, the United States Northern Presbyterian Community's Missionary Work Department, gave up on education missionary and withdrew, the enrolled students of Soongeui School for Girls established Single-minded Devotion Association and resisted against Japanese colonial rule. However, their efforts were ceased by armed forces. The founder, administrator, graduates, enrolled students, national patriots united together and refused Japanese oppression to worship Shinto shrine until the end, and finally chose 'Refusal of Shinto shrine worship' and 'Closing down of school'.
Soongeui School for Girls closed in March, 1938. Despite the fact, however, the female leaders that were produced by Soongeui School for Girls died at early ages fighting for nation's independence, or lived to see the liberation and contributed in constructing the foundation of the country. The representative figures were HWANG Esther, KIM Kyeong Hui, PARK Hyun Suk and GWON Ki Ok.
To sum up, Soongeui School for Girls served its name 'Soongeui', and devoted ideologically to ‘Christian faith’, ‘Anti-Japanese nationalism’, ‘Liberal democracy’. Additionally, it heightened the nation's dignity during the gloomy colonial period by resisting against Japanese forces as fine model of modern national female educational institution, as well as produced female figures who lead nation's liberation consistently. Therefore, it can be concluded that it is an unparalleled and unrivaled female educational institution in Korean history.
Key Words: Soongeui School for Girls, anti-Japanese movement, independence hurrah demonstration, refusal of Shinto shrine worship, Songjuk Death Band, female educational institution