Bak Jungyang

From an early age, he wanted to go abroad to Japan. In 1897, he was selected as a Korean state student to study abroad in Japan. Bak supported himself during his studies because his family was poor. From 1897 to 1900, he studied in Aoyama middle school. In 1900, he entered Dokyo buki high school as a banking major.[4] Then, he added a double major in Japanese police studies there.[4] After the graduation, Bak adopted Neo-Confucianism and the 'Theory of the national prosperity and the military power' from Ito Hirobumi.

At the time, he chose the Japanese name Yamamoto Shin. Bak also became a Japanese petty bureaucrat. He tried to introduce the parliamentary system to the Imperial Korean government, but the Korean government refused.[5]

In 1903, he returned and passed the probation period as a civil officer of Imperial Korea. After returning to Korea, Bak continued to advocate a pro-Japanese position.

Russo-Japanese War

In 1903, Bak successfully filled various government posts, and was also appointed as a staff of the Public Administration Agency. In 1905, he served as a military interpreter during the Russo-Japanese War.[6] In November 1905, he was appointed to the staff of the Farming, Commerce and Industry Department. He resigned when the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905 was signed. On May 5, he was appointed as an engineer of the National Defense Department (군부;軍部) engineer, and accompanied Prince Yi Kang to go to Japan.[7] Two months later, he returned to his country.

Bak Jungyang (1907.06)

In 1906, Bak was promoted to Governor of Daegu County.[8] Then, after a short period, he was promoted again to the Acting Governor of the Gyeongsangbuk-do. During the term, Bak tore down the castle of Daegueup without official permission[9][10] He secretly hired Japanese workers to tear down the structure.[11] also Bak was lay out a new street.[12] In early 1906, he applied for permission from the Korean government, but it was refused. The government tried to punish him for the action, but he acquired protection from Ito Hirobumi.[9] Later, he modernized the Daegu city planning and road maintenance.

He strove in building modern hospitals, medical schools and colleges, and successfully built the Dojin hospital and its affiliated medical school. He was also a supporter of the free press, including journals which satirized him. His idea was that the freedom of the press is a must to supervise the government.

In 1907, he became a governor of Phyeongannamto and Phyeonganpukto, and in 1910, the Governor of Chungcheongnam-do.

Bak Jungyang at the time of his service as Governor of North Chungcheong

When the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910 was signed in August 1910, Bak remained as the Governor of Chungcheongnam-do until 1915. From 1916 to 1920, he was a member of Japanese Government-General of Korea's Privy Council. In 1919, he opposed the March 1st Movement,[13] and founded the Refrain club on 6 April in response.[1] Bak was hindrance and dissuade, advice of go home of demonstrato of March 1st Movement.[13] His old friends Seo Jae-pil and Yun Chi-ho cut off relations with him due to this.

Bak Jungyang, 1923

He was appointed as the Governor of Hwanghae Province in 1921, and the Governor of North Chungcheong Province in 1923 to 1925. After the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, he appealed to the Japanese government to release the arrested Koreans, and asserted that the Koreans were not involved in the criminal cases which occurred during the earthquake. In November 1924, he was accused in a sex abuse scandal, but the accuser woman suddenly died; three years later, the charge against him was dismissed. In 1928, he was re-appointed as the Governor of Hwanghae Province.

He governed the civilians through a regulated bureaucracy system, often with warning and several days of confinement instead of punishment, and suppressed the power of the Japanese police and soldiers to harass civilians, even putting them in confinement as well. Sometimes, the bureaucrats were imprisoned, but the Japanese police never arrested him, because he was especially trusted by the Japanese Governor-General of Korea, which pleased many Joseon people.

Bak Jungyang, later 1930's

In 1927 to 1939, he was a member of Japanese Government-General of Korea's Privy Council; and in 1936, the advisor of Japanese Government-General of Korea's Privy Council.[8] Seven years later, he was elected as the vice-chairman of the council. In 1940, he changed name to Hōchū Segeyō as per the Japanese Sōshi-kaimei.

On October 22, 1941, he was appointed as the adviser of the Fight-patriotic of Joseon Group, which merged with the Peoples Mind Alliance in January 1943.[7] During the Asia-Pacific War, he contributed to encourage and comfort the Japanese troops, as in 1942 and 1943, when he was sent to console the Japanese troops stationed in Singapore. In 1943, he was appointed as Vice-Chairman of Japanese Government-General of Korea's Privy Council. On 3 April 1945, he was elected as a congressman in the House of Peers.[4]

Due to his cooperation with the Japanese Empire and the Japanese Governor-General of Korea, he was listed as a Pro-Japanese collaborators in Korea by the Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities in 2008.

One version says he was an adopted son of Ito Hirobumi.[8][14] But in 1948, he spoke to some press company and confirmed it was a lie.[15] He referred to Ito Hirobumi as "My respected teacher".[15]

He had a wife named Yi Ju-yeol (이주열, 李主悅/李柱烈; 4 March 1870 - 20 May 1960), who was a member of the royal Jeonju Yi clan, and four sons and three daughters. His first son Park Mun-ung (박문웅, 朴文雄; December 7, 1890 - 14 August 1959) was the succeeding mayor of Cheongdo, Cheongsong, Sangju, and Dalseong in North Gyeongsang Province in 1940s. It is unknown when his second son Park Mu-ung (박무웅, 朴武雄) died and his other children died, but his third son had and was survived by his daughter, Park Du-sun (박두순, 朴斗順).

His granddaughter, Park Mun-ung's daughter, Park Bu-nam (박부남, 朴富南; December 6, 1931 – January 1, 2018) was a pediatrician and internist, she was a university professor at the College of Medicine of Kyungpook National University, Keimyung University. Park Bu-nam eventually married Yi Yeol-hui (이열희, 李烈熙; 18 December 1924 - 9 August 2012) who was a member of the Gyeongju Yi clan. Yi Yeol-hui is a dentist and plastic surgeon, Yi was a university professor of College of Medicine of Kyungpook National University and nephew of poet Yi Sang-hwa and resistance activists Yi Sang-jeong, politician Yi Sang-baek.

Park Jung-yang had a daughter, Park Jeong-ja (박정자, 朴政子; 1936 - ?), with an unnamed Japanese concubine who was born in 1909.[16]

Satirical cartoon of Bak Jungyang's Stick

He had "Stick Mr. Bak(박작대기/박짝대기)" as his pet name.[17] The pet name was selected as such because Bak always carried a long stick, sometime called the "Enlightened Stick".[17]

For decades, Bak regularly wrote in his diary every day,[14] which was stored in 20 boxes. Bak's diary was captured when he was arrested by the Special Investigation Committee of Anti-National Activities.[14] Even after being release Bak didn't get his diary back. Bak wrote a memoir "Sulhoe", copy paper of some diary and his memories.