Philip Jaison - 서재필

This statue of Philip Jaisohn stands in front of the Korean Embassy on Sheridan Circle in Washington DC.

"Philip Jaisohn (January 7, 1864 – January 5, 1951) was the anglicized name used by Soh Jaipil (서재필;徐載弼), a noted champion for Korea's independence, journalist, the first Korean to become a naturalized citizen of the United States, and the founder of the first Korean newspaper in Hangul, the Independent News.

He was one of the organizers of the Gapsin Coup in 1884 as well as the 1896 to 1898 Civil rights movement and other suffrage movements. However, when the Gapsin Coup failed, he took refuge in the United States, where he became a medical doctor. During his time in the United States he became the first Korean to gain American citizenship. From 1895 to 1898 he returned to Korea as chief adviser to the Joseon dynasty government and returned from 1945 to 1948 as chief adviser to the American occupation forces in the south. His nicknames were Songjae (송재; 松齋) and Ssang-gyeong (쌍경; 雙慶), his courtesy name was Yun-gyeong (윤경;允卿) and he wrote under the pen name N.H. Osia." -- Wikipedia

서재필 선상
Philip Jaison
1864 - 1951
The First Korean American
Pioneer for the
Korean Independence and Democracy

Philip Jaisohn loved his native land, Korea

Shook it from its slumbers
Roused the young and thundered at the old.

In exile, he embraced his adopted country

Served it with true devotion

Healed the sick and advanced science.

But never forgot his native soil

Spared no effort to her freedom

to the end of his life.

서재필 선상은 한국에서 태어나 스무 살에 개화당에

가입하여 감실정변을 추도했으나 그클뜻을 이루지

못하고 미국에 망명했다. 심년후 고국에 가서 독립신문을

창간하고독 립협회를 만들어 개화사상을 고취하며

독립문을 세우고 다시 미국으러 건너홨다. 나라를 잃어

돌아갈 길이 없었던 오십 년 동안 오직 일편단심 조국

광북만을 위해 몸 바쳐 일 ㅎ했다. 해방 후 고국을 방문

하고 다시 이곳 미국으로 왔 다. 그 후 한국잔쟁 중에

이역마리 미국에서 셍읕 마쳤으되 그의 나라사랑 전신은

길이 살아 전하리라.                                       (글 이은상)