The Independent Jaisohn Analysis

Jaisohn first moved to San Francisco and then the Philadelphia area, where he attended college and became a doctor and an American citizen. His time in America solidified his beliefs of how Korea should modernize including: advocating for mass education, nation-wide equality, creation of a market-based economy, and improvements in medical care, housing, and water supply to improve Korea 's living standards. He analyzed western political systems and hoped that one day they could be used in Korea. Jaisohn came to despise the elite class, calling Yangban "the do-nothing class," contributing only to the weakness of the Korean economy. Furthermore, his marriage to an American woman reshaped his views on women and family life, making Jaisohn a firm

When Jaisohn returned to Korea, after working a few jobs as an advisor, he opened a printing shop and began publishing the first Korean newspaper, The Independent. Building upon the ideas he learned in America, Jaisohn gave Koreans an outlet to learn and express ideas. The Independent was published using the Han’gǔl script, or as Jaisohn called it onmun. Publishing in an easy to read and widely accessible script stood in sharp contrast to previous publications that were only in Chinese characters, which took years to learn and were only taught to the elite. This made the paper accessible to all Koreans, as the Han 'gǔl script is easy to learn, while also taking away the monopoly that the elite class possessed on education. The paper made some changes to Han 'gǔl’s usage, including adding spaces in between words. Furthermore, the usage of Han 'gǔl in The Independent encouraged and inspired others to do the same. Its

Yun 's personal experiences outside of Korea influenced his views on certain issues. He firmly believed that Christianity would be essential to Korea 's advancement, yet this opinion reflect the Christian organizations and universities that made his education possible. Furthermore, because of his own circumstances, Yun became excessively critical of Confucianism and Buddhism, believing these thought systems prohibited Korea from advancing. He was generally critical of elites, believing that independence must come from popular education and conversation. Along with his controversial opinions, Yun took a different approach to independence and reform as some of his fellow compatriots. His time in Japan on the Korean Courtiers ' Mission left a lasting impression on Yun, leading him to believe Korea should base its reforms off of Japan 's Meiji Restoration. Although he was a prominent advocate for independence prior to annexation, he became more sympathetic towards Japan during their colonial rule in Korea. Yun’s pro-Japanese believes led some to even label him as a