Independence patriot · Righteous army (uibyeong) · Righteous army (uibyeong)
| Life | 1846 ~ 1896 |
| Era | 근현대 |
| Clan | 의성 김씨 |
Kim Ha-rak led a righteous army unit in Gyeonggi-do and fought at the Battle of Namhansanseong before dying for the independence cause.
A Seoul resident well versed in astronomy, geography and military texts, he raised righteous army forces in Icheon after the 1895 hair-cutting edict, installed Min Seung-cheon as commander-in-chief while he himself served as overall field commander, and occupied Namhansanseong fortress in 1896. He later moved south to Gyeongsang-do and cooperated with Sin Dol-seok, but after being wounded in battle near Yeongdeok he threw himself into a river rather than be captured. His war diary, the Kim Ha-rak Battle Journal, survives. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation, Grand Cordon, in 1982.