Min Sang-ho

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Min Sang-ho (1870–1933) was a Korean Empire official and soldier. He was born in Seoul into the Yeoheung Min clan and studied at home, in Shanghai, and at Maryland University in the United States. After returning to Korea and passing the Gwageo exam, he began his government career and held many posts, including vice minister of Foreign Affairs in 1898, vice minister of the Nongsanggongbu (the Agriculture and Commerce ministry) in 1900, and head of the Imperial Department of Communications in 1900. He was promoted to major general in 1902 and later became chief of the military court in 1904. He also served as an observer of Gangwon Province and Gyeonggi Province and held other government roles.

From 1897 he traveled abroad as an ambassador to several countries. He was seen as pro-American along with other reform-minded leaders, but in 1908 he became a pro-Japanese official and joined the Dongyang organization, which supported Japan’s colonization of Korea and Taiwan; he even donated money to it. He also gave money to erect a statue of Ernest Bethell.

On October 1, 1910, he joined the Junchuwon, and on October 10, 1910, he was titled a Baron. He received 25,000 won in 1911 for his colonization merit and the Decoration for Colonization of Korea in 1912. He earned the Korean Empire’s Taegeuk orders (3rd Class in 1901 and 2nd Class in 1904). After Korea was annexed by Japan, he was listed as a collaborator in a 2004 presidential decree. Min Sang-ho died in 1933.