Commemoration of Lee Joon: A Legacy of Sacrifice in The Hague

In the heart of The Hague, Netherlands, lies the Lee Joon Memorial Hall, dedicated to the memory of Lee Joon (이준), a special envoy of King Gojong who passed away on July 14, 1907. Lee Joon, along with fellow envoys Lee Sang-seol (이상설) and Lee Wi-jong (이위종), stayed at the De Jong Hotel during their mission to the Second International Peace Conference, which began on June 15, 1907. Unfortunately, they were unable to enter the conference due to Japanese interference, forcing them to advocate for Korea's sovereignty outside the venue. The 23-year-old Lee Wi-jong, fluent in English, French, and Russian, took the lead in delivering speeches and interviews, notably presenting 'A Plea for Korea.'

Tragically, Lee Joon died suddenly in the hotel, initially reported as a suicide. The Daehan Maeil Shinbo reported on July 18 that he had taken his own life out of deep frustration, stating, 'He could not contain his loyal anger and thus sacrificed himself, shedding blood before the international envoys.' However, the Hwangseong Shinmun took a more cautious stance, suggesting that he had died from a self-inflicted wound.

In 1962, the National Institute of Korean History concluded that Lee Joon's death was not a suicide but rather a result of a health issue that went untreated while he was abroad. His passing was attributed to a festering sore on his cheek, which could have been easily treated. Lee Sang-seol later lamented, 'It was a disease that could have been easily cured with just three doses of medicine.'

Following Lee Joon's death, Japan used the incident as a pretext to dethrone King Gojong on July 19, replacing him with the puppet Emperor Sunjong (순종). Lee Joon was buried three days earlier at the Eikendaal Cemetery in The Hague. The Sunjong government sentenced Lee Sang-seol to death by hanging and imposed life sentences on Lee Joon and Lee Wi-jong, leaving them in a position where returning to their homeland was impossible.

Lee Joon hailed from Bukcheong, Hamgyeong Province, and was a graduate of the first class of the Judicial Training Institute, Korea's first modern law school. He was a contemporary of Ham Tae-young (함태영), who later became the third Vice President of South Korea. Lee Joon was active in the Independence Club in 1896 and studied at Waseda University in Japan.

In 1962, he was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation, and in 1963, his remains were returned to Korea after 55 years, where he was interred at the National Cemetery in Suyu-ri, Seoul.