Gyeongsang National University Institute for Educational Research to publish 『Ishii Gokyo, Who Loved Jinju』… translation and commentary on a 1928 biography
- Citizen-participation tea gathering at Bibongnu at 10:00 a.m. on Thu, October 15
- A source-centered interpretation, neither glorification nor condemnation… 13 themes examined
Gyeongsang National University (President Kwon Jin-hoe) Institute for Educational Research (Director Kwon Jong-gyeom) will publish on Thursday, October 15 『Ishii Gokyo, Who Loved Jinju』, a translated and annotated biography of the Japanese Ishii Gokyo (石井高曉, 1858–1926), who served as chair of the petition committee opposing the relocation of the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Office to Busan. The date marks the 100th anniversary of Ishii Gokyo’s passing.
On the same day at 10:00 a.m., the Institute will hold the “Tea Gathering for Memory and Reflection on the Modern History of Jinju” at the second-floor pavilion of Bibongnu in Jinju, sharing the book’s central questions with citizens.
The work translated, 『石井高曉翁傳』, is a Japanese-language biography compiled in 1928 by Fukami Hisashi (深見壽) for memorial purposes. The research team rendered the original into Korean and cross-checked it against contemporary newspapers, administrative records, court judgments, petitions, and records of the Imperial Diet of Japan, and in the commentary examined 13 themes. The book contains the commentary, the Korean translation, a facsimile of the original, and related materials.
Ishii Gokyo moved to Jinju in 1905 and served as head of the Jinju Japanese Association, administrator of the school association, vice-chair of the Sanitation Association, and chair of the Prosperity Association. He was also involved in running Jinju Public Ordinary Elementary School, which opened in 1908 and continues today as Baeyeong Elementary School. The Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Office was relocated from Jinju to Busan on April 1, 1925, and he served at the time as chair of the petition committee opposing the move.
This publication originated in regional history research that revisited the 100th anniversary of the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Office’s relocation to Busan. The Gyeongsang National University Jinju Studies Research Center and Namuko Forum held an academic conference on November 14, 2025, titled “The Seized Gyeongnam Provincial Office: Retrospect and Prospect,” to examine the relocation process and its impact on Jinju.
The tea gathering is hosted by the Gyeongsang National University Institute for Educational Research and Namuko Forum, and organized by Jinju Union Tea Association Oseong Dado. Co-translator-author Dr. Hirose Eiko and Han Ok-sun, chair of Oseong Dado, will lead Parts 1 and 2, respectively. Also attending are Ishii Hiroshi (石井博司), great-grandson of Ishii Gokyo and director of Odawara Ishii Respiratory Internal Medicine Clinic, and Dr. Hongo Tamio, co-translator-author.
The book is not for sale and will be made available at the Gyeongsang National University Library, Jinju City Library, and other locations. The research team plans to pursue follow-up tasks such as joint investigations of materials dispersed across Korea and Japan.
The research team stated that the materials confirmed to date do not go so far as to substantiate Ishii Gokyo’s criticism of colonial rule or claims of equality between Koreans and Japanese. Translator-author Emeritus Professor Kwon Hae-ju explained, “The phrase ‘Who Loved Jinju’ in the book title is not a finished accolade but a question intended to be verified together with readers as to the extent to which it holds historically.”
·Photo caption:From left in the photo: the cover of 『Ishii Gokyo, Who Loved Jinju』 and the event poster for “Tea Gathering for Memory and Reflection on the Modern History of Jinju”
·For inquiries about the content:Gyeongsang National University Institute for Educational Research | 055-772-2252
This page is provided via AI machine translation. Some inaccuracies may occur. For official purposes, please refer to the original document.
