After the Korea-U.S. Treaty was signed in 1882, a diplomatic mission led by Min Yong-ik landed in San Francisco on September 2, 1883, making them the first Koreans to set foot on American soil. Since no one in the group spoke English, they employed a Japanese interpreter, with Yu Gil-jun translating Korean into Japanese, which was then interpreted into English by a Japanese individual. The American interpreter was a Harvard graduate named Lowell, who introduced Yu Gil-jun to Professor Morse, a friend of his.
Thanks to this introduction, Yu Gil-jun stayed in Salem, Massachusetts, where he studied at Dammer Academy under Professor Morse for four months. He became the first Korean student to study in the U.S. on a government scholarship. After completing his studies, he traveled through Europe before returning to Korea. The book he wrote upon his return, “Seoyugyeonmun” (Observations of the West), had a significant impact on the educated class in Korea during the Enlightenment period.
In 1884, Seo Jae-pil, Seo Gwang-beom, and Park Yeong-hyo, key figures in the Gapsin Coup, became political exiles in San Francisco after the coup failed and they were branded as traitors. Park Jeong-yang, the first Korean consul in the U.S., arrived on October 13, 1887, and in 1888, Yun Chi-ho came to the U.S. as the first official Korean student to study at Emory University. However, there was someone who graduated from an American university even earlier in 1891: Byun Soo, who graduated from the Maryland Agricultural College as part of the diplomatic mission. Unfortunately, Byun Soo died in a train accident that same year and was buried in Washington.
In 1892, Seo Jae-pil became the first Korean to receive a Doctor of Medicine degree from Columbia University (the predecessor of George Washington University). In 1895, Esther (Kim) Park became the first Korean female student to enroll at Johns Hopkins University, studying for five years before returning to Korea to become a practicing physician. Seo Byeong-kyu also graduated from the Maryland Agricultural College. Dr. Kim Gyu-sik, who became an orphan at the age of four, was educated under the care of missionary Underwood and went to study in the U.S. around 1897, graduating from Roanoke College in 1903.
In 1902, Ahn Chang-ho came to San Francisco as a student but abandoned his studies to become a pioneer in building the Korean community. Lee Seung-man arrived in the U.S. in 1904, becoming the first Korean graduate of Harvard University and later receiving the first Ph.D. in philosophy awarded to a Korean from Princeton University.
Park Yong-man came to the U.S. in 1904 and studied military science at Hastings College in 1906, establishing a Korean boys’ military school in 1909. In 1910, he majored in political science at the University of Nebraska, convinced that military action was essential for the independence of his homeland.
He was the editor of the “Sinmin Gukbo,” a Hawaiian newspaper, and in 1919, he founded the “Korean National Army Corps” in Hawaii, focusing on military morale.
At that time, most early immigrants were preoccupied with making a living through labor, but the lives and thoughts of early immigrants such as Yun Byeong-gu, Ahn Chang-ho, Jeong Han-gyeong, Park Yong-man, and Lee Seung-man changed significantly with their leadership. In particular, Ahn Chang-ho came to the U.S. for study but, upon witnessing the poor living conditions and difficulties faced by the uneducated Koreans, he abandoned his academic pursuits to dedicate himself to the civilizing and welfare improvement of Koreans. He personally visited homes, demonstrating the importance of cleanliness from gardens to latrines, teaching that to survive in America, one must learn, and he enlightened and educated others through lectures and discussions.
From 1890 to 1905, the number of Korean students who came to the U.S. was 64. From 1910, after the annexation of Korea by Japan, until 1918, those who studied in the U.S. did so without travel permits and were referred to as “Shindo students.” They organized the Shindo Student Association, which totaled 541 members, with about 20% graduating from American universities.
These students played a role in forming the Korean community in the U.S. and supporting the independence movement of their homeland. In 1913, Korean students at Columbia University connected with over 200 students across the U.S. to collect Korean books. They also gathered materials on Korean culture for exhibitions and established “The Korean Culture Society,” which functioned like a library.
From 1915 to 1916, about 100 Korean students came to the U.S., and from 1921 to 1940, around 189 students arrived. They came with Japanese colonial government passports, and their studies were supported by Christian organizations. Since failure to maintain good academic performance would result in immediate repatriation, their academic results were strong, with 15% earning doctoral degrees and 65% graduating from universities. Most returned to Korea after completing their studies, becoming active in education or religious fields. According to a survey conducted by the Korean Student Association in the U.S. in 1929, the number of Korean students in the U.S. was 313 (including 45 in Canada) on the mainland and 155 in Hawaii, totaling 472. Notable students from that time included Baek Nak-jun, Kim Hwal-ran, Ko Hwang-gyeong, Jang Myeon, Han Gyeong-jik, Kim Jae-jun, and Song Chan-geun.
Around 1919, the total number of Koreans in the U.S., including Hawaii, was estimated to be about 7,000, and it did not exceed 10,000 until liberation in 1945, indicating very modest growth.
Student Organizations and Their Activities
The first Korean student organization was the “Oriental Korean Student Association,” founded in 1913 in Hastings, Nebraska, led by Park Yong-man, with Park Cheo-woo as the first president. In San Francisco, the “Korean Student Friendship Association” was organized on October 27, 1916. On August 18, 1918, a student organization was also established in the central California region of Danyuba.
Many other organizations continued to emerge, often claiming to represent all Koreans in the U.S., which sometimes led to disputes. In response, the San Francisco Korean Student Friendship Association contacted local student associations and held a united meeting on September 26, 1919. The attendees agreed to form a single organization representing all Korean students, leading to a founding meeting for a general assembly on April 6, 1920. The founders from Northern California included Kim Hyun-gu, Kim Yong-jung, Kim Ryeo-sik, Myung Il-seon, and Moon Do-ro, while representatives from the Willows area included Choi Neung-ik, Choi Yun-ho, Jo Jong-ik, and Choi Neung-jin.
Finally, on April 30, 1921, the “Korean Student Federation of North America” was established, with its headquarters in New York, electing Lee Yong-jik as president and Jo Byeong-ok as vice president. On March 9, 1927, the name was changed to “The Korean Student Federation of North America,” with nearly all 255 student members participating, marking its peak. At that time, there were 60 graduate students, 125 undergraduates, 35 preparatory students, and 36 special students. On March 1, 1925, the Korean student magazine “Rocky,” written in both Korean and Hanja, was launched, but it ceased publication after the seventh issue in 1936 due to financial difficulties.
The Korean Student Federation of North America was maintained for 24 years until 1945, but with liberation, many students returned to Korea, and the connection with overseas students was lost, leading to its dissolution in 1948.
An editorial in the Sinhan Minbo in 1914 encouraged Korean students in the U.S. with the following points: “First, strive for the scholarship of your homeland,” “Second, all endeavors require simple attention, so focus on studying diligently,” and “Third, cultivate a sense of public virtue.”
In June 1924, the second “Korean Student Federation of North America” was held in Chicago.
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