Kim Ŭngu

Kim Ŭngu (Korean: 김응우; June 17, 1848 – October 4, 1878) was a Mangyongdae farmer who was the father of Kim Pohyŏn, grandfather of Kim Hyong-jik, great-grandfather of Kim Il Sung, and ancestor of the Kim family.^[1][2] In North Korea, he is a national hero.

He was born on June 17, 1848, in the Mangyongdae settlement of Joseon (now part of Pyongyang) as the eldest child of Kim Song-ryeong (김송령, 金成瑛; 1810–1899) and Na Hyeon-jik (나현직, 羅賢植; 1811–1897). He had three brothers: Kim Ŭiguk (김의국; 1854–1947), Kim Chongsu (김종수; 1855–1943), and Kim Insŏk (김인석; 1863–1952). The first name of his wife is unknown, but it is certain that he married a lady with the surname Ri. Only one son was born from their marriage, who was named Kim Pohyŏn.

Contemporary writings and North Korean sources contradict each other regarding Kim Ŭngu's role in the General Sherman incident, when an armed American merchant ship sailed up the Taedong River with the intention of forcing the isolationist Joseon (modern day Korea) to open up to trade with the United States.

According to North Korea, the incident occurred as follows:

The General Sherman arrived in Joseon in August 1866 (according to the lunar calendar it was still July). The crew of the ship, which had originally arrived for trading purposes, decided to take an unexpected step and sailed on towards the interior of Pyongyang. To prevent this, Kim and his companions stretched ropes across the Taedong River. When Kim Ŭngu found out that the Americans were firing cannons at the Korean residents, looting, and even inquiring about the whereabouts of the royal tombs, he recruited an army of volunteers who loaded firewood into wooden boats and took them to the American ship and set it on fire. The American ship caught fire and sank. The Americans later sent another ship, the Shenandoah, as revenge, but the Koreans, again led by Kim Ŭngu, sank it.

The Joseon described the incident as follows:

The American ship wanted to trade with the Joseon people, who refused because it was forbidden by law to trade with people from foreign countries. The Americans sailed on without permission from the Koreans, and in response, the Koreans attacked and sank the ship during days of fighting.

Kim Ŭngu died young, at the age of 30, of unknown causes. In North Korea, led by his successors, he is remembered to this day as the leader of the attack on the General Sherman and a national hero.

• Kim Ŭngu
• Ardent Patriot Kim Ung U
• KCNA News Archived 2019-11-24 at the Wayback Machine