Japan Censored and Confiscated Even the Collected Works of Independence Activists

Publication Ban on "Hyangsanjip"
Records Erased by Censorship Revived After 38 Years

During the Japanese colonial period, Japan enacted the "Publication Act" in February 1909, subjecting all books published in Joseon to prior censorship. This was not merely a regulation on publications, but rather a governing strategy aimed at suppressing national spirit and breaking the will for independence.

Hyangsanjip Censored Edition (Jinseong Yi Clan Hyangsan Old House Donated Materials)

This form of oppression is vividly revealed in the collected works of independence activist Hyangsan (Lee Mando, 1842-1910), titled Hyangsanjip. The censored edition of Hyangsanjip was submitted to the Government-General of Korea in 1931, underwent censorship, and was then returned. Parts of it are currently housed at the Korean Studies Advancement Center. The cover of the returned collection still bears the title "Jikjaejip."

Red stamps, lines, and erased sections: Lee Mando, a 13th-generation descendant of the renowned Joseon scholar Toegye Yi Hwang, fasted to death in 1910 upon hearing the news of Korea's loss of sovereignty. Although his descendants and disciples sought to publish his collected works, publication was impossible without Japanese censorship. Of the original 14 volumes, only three censored volumes survive-two from the main collection and one supplementary volume-while the rest disappeared due to publication bans and confiscation.

In the censored edition, expressions referring to the Joseon monarch such as "Geumsang" and "Seongsang," as well as descriptions related to the Imjin War, were intensively deleted. Problematic phrases were marked with a red "Deleted" stamp or highlighted with red circles and underlines. This demonstrates Japan's intent to distort and erase Joseon's very history.

Under the pretext of "public order disturbance," records of the independence spirit were blocked. The Government-General of Korea specified in its ban on publishing Hyangsanjip that "Lee Mando raised a militia in opposition to treaties with Japan and committed suicide by fasting immediately after the Japan-Korea Annexation; therefore, the content constitutes a disturbance to public order."

Notably, the appendix recorded the incident in which "Ito Hirobumi forced the Eulsa Treaty, five officials including Lee Wanyong approved it, and figures such as Min Yeonghwan committed suicide." Japan thoroughly blocked the disclosure of such historical facts.

Hyangsanjip, which was banned from publication, was only fully published in 1948, after liberation. This is an example of records lost to censorship and confiscation being revived after 38 years.

An official from the Korean Studies Advancement Center stated, "Hyangsanjip is a valuable historical source that demonstrates the brutal publication censorship of the Japanese colonial period and the struggles of independence activists who resisted it," adding, "We will continue to discover and preserve such records of resistance in the future."

Hyangsanjip Censored Edition (Jinseong Yi Clan Hyangsan Old House Donated Materials)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.