[KS] New book announcement: Peace in the East

[SEOK LEE]

Dear Colleagues,



I would like to announce publication of a new book, *Peace in the East: An
Chunggŭn’s Vision for Asia in the Age of Japanese Imperialism*.




*Peace in the East: An Chunggŭn’s Vision for Asia in the Age of Japanese
Imperialism*. Edited by Yi Tae-Jin, Eugene Y. Park, and Kirk W. Larsen.
Lanham: Lexington Books, 2017. *xvi*, 268 pp. US$105.00 (hardback).



On October 26, 1909, the Korean patriot An Chunggŭn assassinated the
Japanese statesman Itō Hirobumi in Harbin, China. More than a century
later, the ramifications of An’s daring act continue to reverberate across
East Asia and beyond. This volume explores the abiding significance of An,
his life, and his written work, most notably *On Peace in the East* (*Tongyang
p’yŏnghwaron*), from a variety of perspectives, especially historical,
legal, literary, philosophical, and political. The ways in which An has
been understood and interpreted by contemporaries, by later generations,
and by scholars and thinkers even today shed light on a range of
significant issues including the intellectual and philosophical
underpinnings for both imperial expansion and resistance to it; the ongoing
debate concerning whether violence, or even terrorism, is ever justified;
and the possibilities for international cooperation in today’s East Asia as
a regional collective. Students and scholars of East Asia will find much to
engage with and learn from in this volume.





*Chapters*



Introduction

by *Yi Tae-Jin* (Professor Emeritus of Korean History, Seoul National
University),

*     Eugene Y. Park* (Korea Foundation Associate Professor of History,
University of Pennsylvania),

*     Kirk W. Larsen* (Associate Professor of History, Brigham Young
University)



1 / Japanese Expansion in East Asia and An Chunggŭn’s Peace in the East

                                by *Xu Yong* (Professor of Modern Chinese
History, Peking University)



2 / An Chunggŭn and the Genealogy of Modern Korea’s Discourse on Peace in
the East

                by *Suh Young-Hee* (Professor of Modern Korean History,
Korea Polytechnic University)



3 / Visions of Violence, Dreams of Peace: Religion, Race, and Nation in An
Chunggŭn’s *On Peace in the East*

by *Franklin D. Rausch *(Assistant Professor of History, Lander University)



4 / The An Chunggŭn Trial and Peace in the East: The Effect of the 1905
“Japan-Korea Protectorate Treaty” on International Relations

                by *Totsuka Etsurō* (Professor of Law, retired, Ryukoku
University)



5 / An Chunggŭn and the Political Philosophy of Immanuel Kant

                by *Sasagawa Norikatsu* (Professor of Law, retired, Meiji
University)



6 / Three Images of An Chunggŭn in Chinese Narratives

                by *Wang Yuanzhou *(Professor of Contemporary Chinese
History, Peking University)



7 / An Chunggŭn and Liang Qichao: Two Lights of Modern East Asia

                by *Yi Tae-Jin* (Professor Emeritus of Korean History,
Seoul National University)



8 / The Philosophy and Possibilities of An Chunggŭn’s Unfinished *On Peace
in the East*

                by *Yamamuro Shin’ichi *(Professor of History and Politics,
Kyoto University)



9 / Contemporary Meanings of An Chunggŭn’s Peace in the East: A Pioneer of
the New Concept of East Asian Community

                by *Makino Eiji *(Professor of Philosophy, Hosei University)



Afterword

by *Frederick R. Dickinson *(Professor of History, University of
Pennsylvania)



*Pre-Publication Reviews*



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.


Publisher Website Link: https://rowman.com/ISBN/
9781498566407/Peace-in-the-East-An-Chunggun's-Vision-for-Asi
a-in-the-Age-of-Japanese-Imperialism




Best,

Seok

---

Seok Lee, Ph.D.

Academic Coordinator

James Joo-Jin Kim Program in Korean Studies

University of Pennsylvania
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