[KS] Koreanstudies Digest Request: US Missionaries in the early 1900s

[Frank Hoffmann]

Dear Dr. Wilson:

More or less just a side note, not a direct reply:

Mark E. Caprio and myself are preparing a book, very soon to be 
published, titled
   Witness to Korea 1945–47:
   The Unfolding of an Authoritarian Regime
And we also encountered Franklin E. C. Williams -- as the father of 
George Zur Williams (aka U Kwang-bok, 1907–1994). The son, at the time 
a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Navy, became General Hodge's 
right-hand man from day one, from the day of Hodge's arrival in Korea 
-- the man who Hodge and Arnold left in charge (as Arnold's "special 
assistant") to hire Korean and Korean speaking personnel working for 
the U.S. Army Military Government of Korea. He did not stay very long 
in Korea, but he was so uniquely placed during these early days of the 
U.S. occupation, so corrupt, and politically so far on the right that 
he managed to not only bring many of the later major right-wing Korean 
collaborators (with the Japanese) into key positions, directly or 
indirectly, but he also brought in all those missionaries and 2nd 
generation, ultraconservative missionary family members in as USAMGIK 
interpreters. We can say that it was Williams who was single-handedly 
responsible for what was then nicknamed the “Interpreters’ Government.
” One of those he brought back and into office was his own father. 
Even the decision to fly in Syngman Rhee -- and that was basically a 
violation of the occupation policies that had been decided on back in 
Washington -- was based on George Z. Williams' direct recommendation to 
Hodge.

As I said, this just a side note. 
The just mentioned son later lived here in San Francisco as a forensic 
scientist. About the father and your question:
sorry, I have no info on your actual question about him being in India. 
I thought I read that he had gone back to Colorado after having left 
Korea. You have checked his son's memoirs for that?

Best,
Frank


____________________________________

On Tue, 17 May 2022 07:03:21 +0000, Roland Wilson wrote:
> Dear Colleagues,
> 
> I would like to ask for assistance. 
> 
>  A colleague and I are doing some research on missionaries during the 
> Japanese Occupation period and trying desperately to find some 
> specific information on two of them. 
> 
> The primary missionary I am looking for information on is Franklin E. 
> C. Williams 1883-1962 (한국이름- 우리암 선교사). What I know about 
> him is that he was born on 4 Aug 1883 and was part of the U.S. 
> Northern Methodist Church. He also came to Korea from 1906-1940 and 
> was in Kongju (공주) as principal of 영명학교.  What is key about 
> this missionary and his wife is that evidently both supported/helped 
> the Korean Independence Movement.
> 
> There are a few brief articles that mention once he was evicted by 
> the Japanese and fled Korea, he went to an area near Dehli India and 
> created another school for farming, and most importantly, he met with 
> Koreans from the Great Korea Provisional Government there and 
> assisted them (perhaps taught them English).  On a side note, I did 
> read from a British SOF Book that Koreans were in India helping the 
> British troops fight in Burma by working as Japanese translators and 
> military assistants.
> 
> However, I can't find any specific documented information on when he 
> went to India, where he set-up the school or any documents that show 
> he met with Koreans from the provisional government while in India 
> (along with the purpose of the meetings--teaching English?).   By the 
> way, I did read that some say he was also taken prisoner to Japan for 
> a while first and tortured, but no documeted information on that as 
> well.
> 
> How could I find information about his work helping the Independence 
> Movement in Korea in Kongju and his travel to Indian and meetings 
> with Koreans? This is the key part I can't find.
> 
> Also, it is reported that his son joined the U.S. Army and worked in 
> Korea as a translator. However, I can't find any details of this as I 
> have no military identification number.  Any ideas? 
> 
> I would be in your debt for any assistance.
> 
> Best Regards,
> 
> Dr. Roland Wilson
> 
> 

_______________________________
Frank Hoffmann
http://koreanstudies.com