원태우 元泰祐
Independence activist known for throwing a stone at the train carrying Ito Hirobumi at Anyang after the 1905 protectorate treaty
| Life | 1882 ~ 1950 |
| Era | 대한제국~일제강점기 |
| Clan | 원주 원씨 |
Life & career
Won Tae-u (1882-1950) was an independence activist of the late Korean Empire and Japanese colonial period from the Wonju Won clan. According to Wikipedia he was born on 4 March 1882 in Haseo-myeon, Gwacheon County, Gyeonggi (the present Anyang area) and died on 25 June 1950. A Gyeonggi Province source says he was from Anyang-dong, the second son of Won Tae-seong and Lee Ho-sun, and was also called Won Tae-geun. He came from a Confucian family of the Wonju Won clan that produced two chief councillors, and is described as always leading in right causes and never bending to injustice.
He became known for an act of resistance against Japanese aggression. When the 1905 protectorate treaty was concluded he is said to have prepared an action in indignation; learning that Ito Hirobumi would pass Anyang by train on his way back to Seoul from Suwon, he waited along the track. He first tried to stop the train with rocks on the rail, but a companion removed them; then at Seorijae Pass in Anyang he threw a stone that broke a train window and injured Ito. Sources differ on whether this happened in 1905 or 1906, and on the extent of the injury and other details, so they cannot be fixed.
He was arrested on the spot and endured harsh torture. Gyeonggi Province's account says he lived with a crippled body for the rest of his life and died without an heir during the Korean War. Skilled at stonework, he made mortars, two of which survive, one at the Independence Hall of Korea and the other at Anyang City Hall. Anyang placed a relief portrait of him at the entrance to Anyang Station, and a monument stands at Manan Library. Wikimedia Commons holds a photo of his Order of Merit for National Foundation certificate, but the grade and year of the award were not confirmed here.
Origins
Born in Haseo-myeon, Gwacheon County, today's Anyang, he grew up in a Confucian family of the Wonju Won clan.
The Anyang Act
He threw a stone that broke the window of the train carrying Ito Hirobumi. Accounts differ between 1905 and 1906.
Torture and Later Life
Arrested on the spot, he endured harsh torture and lived crippled; he saw liberation and died in 1950 during the Korean War.
Relics and Memorials
Mortars he made are kept at the Independence Hall and Anyang City Hall; a relief portrait stands at Anyang Station and a monument at Manan Library.
Grave
The location of his grave was not confirmed.
Descendants
He is said to have left no heir.