Historical blockbuster 'Harbin' plays fast and loose with the past
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- YIM SEUNG-HYE
- [email protected]
In film and television, historical dramas have never gone out of style. Fans of period dramas, both in Korea and abroad, like to be transported to a different time and learn about the stories that swept up — or were put in motion by — our ancestors. Some watch to see how the present compares with the past. Others watch to see progress. Foreign Korea-philes can get a crash course in Korean history while watching historical films. But all historical dramas create characters, add romantic plots and conflate or invent events to make sure viewers don’t lose interest. With Fiction vs. History, the Korea JoongAng Daily attempts to distinguish fact from fiction in popular period dramas and films for clarification and to dispel misunderstandings.
![A still image from historical film ″Harbin,″ featuring Hyun Bin as Ahn Jung-geun [CJ ENM]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/02/02/c7cfb9cf-e3fb-4119-9532-bb38085ee0e8.jpg)
A still image from historical film ″Harbin,″ featuring Hyun Bin as Ahn Jung-geun [CJ ENM]
![Korean independence activist Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910) and his representative hand print. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/02/02/a0e6783d-c6dc-4aa4-87a1-72e620b3198a.jpg)
Korean independence activist Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910) and his representative hand print. [JOONGANG ILBO]
Warning: Spoilers are ahead.
It’s January 1909. Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun (1879–1910) trudges across the frozen Tumen River, his body weighed down not only by the biting cold but by the guilt consuming him. He is haunted by the decision he made during the Battle of Sinasan in North Hamgyong (1908) — the choice to release captured Japanese soldiers, believing in the principles of international law, which led to the death of dozens of his comrades.
![A still image from historical film ″Harbin" [CJ ENM]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/02/02/9aa1bc36-f1f6-44dd-949c-e447d17c0251.jpg)
A still image from historical film ″Harbin" [CJ ENM]
![Historical film "Harbin" starts off with actor Hyun Bin, playing Ahn Jung-geun, walking across the frozen Tumen River. [CJ ENM]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/02/02/66d36628-7eea-478b-9f02-bd0524783d0d.jpg)
Historical film "Harbin" starts off with actor Hyun Bin, playing Ahn Jung-geun, walking across the frozen Tumen River. [CJ ENM]
Meanwhile, in Kraskino, a remote town in Russia’s Far East, members of Ahn’s righteous army, known as uibyeong, sit around a table. Their faces are tense with doubt. Some begin to question Ahn’s judgment, criticizing his naivety. Others go further, wondering aloud whether Ahn, if captured and tortured by the Japanese, might betray them and turn into an enemy agent. Then, the doorbell rings, and Ahn stands before them. Before his doubtful comrades, Ahn says his life belongs to his comrades who died before him and that he will devote his being to restoring Korea's national sovereignty. He then severs the tip of his left ring finger and, using his blood as ink, writes “Daehan dongnip” (Korean independence) in Chinese characters on a Korean national flag.
Korea’s latest blockbuster historical film “Harbin,” which follows Ahn and his fellow Korean independence activists on a journey to Harbin with a single purpose — restoring Korea’s sovereignty by assassinating Japan’s first prime minister and Korea’s first resident general, Hirobumi Ito, in 1909, opens with this scene. The film is directed by Woo Min-ho and stars actors Hyun Bin, Jo Woo-jin and Park Hoon.
According to its distributor CJ ENM, the movie has been sold to 177 countries — including Japan, Taiwan, France, Spain, Laos and Portugal — and has premiered in the United States and Singapore on Dec. 25, Indonesia on Jan. 1, Australia and New Zealand on Jan. 23 and Taiwan on Jan. 29. As the film captivates audiences worldwide, international viewers may wonder: How much of what they see on screen is true?
Some reviewers jokingly say the film “distorts history” from the beginning by casting heartthrob Hyun Bin to play Ahn. Since “Harbin” is not a documentary but a commercial film, there are many areas where the director allowed room for dramatization.
![In the film "Harbin," the Battle of Sinasan takes place in the snow but in reality, this battle took place in the summer, in early July of 1908. [CJENM]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/02/02/69983bd1-45a8-4a41-8937-c4584e927e56.jpg)
In the film "Harbin," the Battle of Sinasan takes place in the snow but in reality, this battle took place in the summer, in early July of 1908. [CJENM]
In the early part of the film, the Battle of Sinasan is depicted, where Ahn and the Korean righteous army soldiers fight against Japanese troops in the snow and seize victory. However, in reality, this battle took place in the summer, in early July 1908, making the depiction of combat in freezing, snowy conditions purely fictional.
It is historically accurate that the righteous army won the battle and that Ahn, despite opposition from others, chose to release the captured Japanese soldiers, citing international law. However, there is no confirmed evidence that this decision directly led to a Japanese counterattack on the Korean righteous army as depicted in the film.
![Poster of Japanese soldier Tatsuo Mori, portrayed by actor Park Hoon, from historical film "Harbin" (2024) [CJ ENM]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/02/02/23dab184-9df0-45c7-b0f9-ba4241ac1159.jpg)
Poster of Japanese soldier Tatsuo Mori, portrayed by actor Park Hoon, from historical film "Harbin" (2024) [CJ ENM]
Additionally, the character Tatsuo Mori (played by Park Hoon), a Japanese Army lieutenant colonel Ahn releases after the battle, is entirely fictional. In the film, he relentlessly pursues Ahn, attempting to stop him from assassinating Ito until the very end. However, since Mori did not exist in real history, all related scenes were created for dramatic effect.
The film shows Ahn as a brave man by showing him severing his own fingertip alone before his comrades.
In fact, while Ahn’s handprint is widely recognized as a powerful symbol of patriotism, sacrifice and unwavering resistance against Japanese colonial rule, Ahn didn't sever his fingertip alone.
Ahn and 11 other independence activists performed this symbolic act together in Russia on Feb. 7, 1909. Each cut off their fingertips as a solemn pledge of their resistance against Japanese rule.
Are all of Ahn’s comrades in the film based on real historical figures? Surprisingly, many characters in the film are fictional, including Kim Sang-hyun (played by Jo Woo-jin), who becomes an enemy agent.
In the film, an attempt to assassinate Ito by Ahn and his comrades fails after they are discovered by Japanese soldiers, and they are forced to flee. Later, it is revealed that Kim was captured and tortured, which leads him to betray his comrades and become a spy. He begins leaking information to Mori — also a fictional character, as mentioned above — to sabotage Ahn’s assassination plan.
At the end of the film, following Ahn’s execution, Mori orders Kim to infiltrate Kim Gu’s circle and gather intelligence on this prominent Korean independence leader. However, instead of complying, Kim pretends to agree but ultimately kills Mori. Since both characters are made up, this ending was created purely for dramatic effect.
![Ahn Jung-geun's calligraphy work written in Chinese characters, meaning that “a person’s mind changes in the morning and in the evening, but the color of the mountain remains the same, before and now.” Smaller writing on the side states that this has been written in Lushun prison in March 1910 and has Ahn’s distinctive handprint on it as well. [SEOUL AUCTION]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/02/02/509611b1-e0dc-4363-a990-820eb0877292.jpg)
Ahn Jung-geun's calligraphy work written in Chinese characters, meaning that “a person’s mind changes in the morning and in the evening, but the color of the mountain remains the same, before and now.” Smaller writing on the side states that this has been written in Lushun prison in March 1910 and has Ahn’s distinctive handprint on it as well. [SEOUL AUCTION]
Another fictional character is Lee Chang-seop (played by Lee Dong-wook), an independence fighter who frequently challenges Ahn’s leadership and expresses skepticism. However, before being shot and killed by Mori, he acknowledges Ahn’s deep patriotism.
Madam Gong (played by Jeon Yeo-been) is another fictional character. According to director Woo, he wanted to include a female independence activist in the film, which led to the creation of the character. As a result, all her actions — including her efforts to support Ahn — along with chase scenes involving Mori and the added espionage subplot, were entirely fabricated for cinematic dramatization.
Then, who are the real historical figures?
![Korean independence fighter Choi Jae-hyung, who was killed by the Imperial Japanese Army on April 7, 1920. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/02/02/d58f6b77-d137-4385-96da-c249c91cec33.jpg)
Korean independence fighter Choi Jae-hyung, who was killed by the Imperial Japanese Army on April 7, 1920. [JOONGANG ILBO]
In the film, Choi Jae-hyung (played by Yoo Jae-myung) constantly supports Ahn and his fellow independent activists. The historical Choi (1858-1920) was a key figure in the Korean independence movement who was crucial in supporting anti-Japanese resistance movements, particularly among Koreans in Russia. He was a Korean immigrant in Russia’s Primorsky Krai, where many Koreans had settled. As in the film, he used his wealth to support the righteous army, providing them with weapons and funds.
Woo Duk-soon (played by Park Jeong-min), a close confidant of Ahn, was also an actual historical figure. As a Korean independent activist, he was a core member of Ahn’s plan to assassinate Ito, along with Jo Do-seon (played by Lee San-ho). In the movie, he misleads Kim, after realizing he’s turned into an enemy spy, by falsely informing him that Ito’s assassination will occur at Caijiagou Station, a stop before Harbin Station, and that Ahn will meet them there. This deception lures Mori to rush to the station only to find Kim and Woo there. Mori later realizes he’s been tricked and rushes to Harbin Station, but he’s too late.
![Korean independent activist Woo Duk-soon (1894-1953) [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/02/02/906d4edb-471a-46ba-949e-62f5df542109.jpg)
Korean independent activist Woo Duk-soon (1894-1953) [JOONGANG ILBO]
This scene, however, is purely a cinematic invention. In historical reality, Ahn’s plan was much more straightforward. The actual assassination plot consisted of two plans. Plan A was for Woo and Jo to kill Ito at Caijiagou Station, where his train was set to stop briefly. Plan B was for Ahn to assassinate Ito at Harbin Station if plan A failed.
On the morning of Oct. 26, 1909, as Ito’s train pulled into Caijiagou Station, Russian soldiers stationed there became suspicious of Woo and Jo and prevented them from getting close to the train. After witnessing the train coming into Harbin Station, Ahn realized that Plan A was unsuccessful and executed Plan B.
At 9 a.m., Ito’s train arrived at Harbin Station. According to Ahn’s autobiography written during his imprisonment at Lüshun Prison after the assassination, the security at Harbin Station was less tight. Japanese people were allowed onto the platform to greet Ito. Ahn pretended to be one of them, and as soon as Ito stepped out of the train, he fired three shots directly into his body. While the film does not explicitly depict the shooting itself, historical records indicate that Ahn fired four additional shots at others standing near Ito, uncertain if he had hit his target. In his autobiography, Ahn wrote that he wasn’t sure of who Ito was as he’d only seen his pictures in newspapers, making absolute identification difficult in the moment.
As Russian authorities captured him, Ahn repeatedly shouted in Russian, "Korea Ura!" — a phrase that translates to "Long live the independence of Korea." The film accurately captures this moment, reinforcing the global significance of Ahn’s act.
Real footage of the actual moment of the Harbin assassination exists. The Singapore-based English-language newspaper The Straits Times published an article on Dec. 22, 1909, that a “Russian, who was at Harbin Station to take a cinematograph film of the meeting of the late Prince Ito and M. Kokovtsov, the Russian financial minister, secured a picture of the assassination,” adding that a Japanese businessman purchased the film for 15,000 yen.
“Such a price, it is said, is without precedent in the history of the cinematograph,” the article said. “[The film] shows the arrival of the late prince at Harbin, the meeting with the Russian financial minister, the welcome by the officials and others on the platform, the shooting, the placing of the dying statesman in the train and the capture of the assassin.”
“Harbin” then shows Ahn receiving the death penalty and being hanged at Lushun Prison in present-day China. However, many Korean viewers express regret regarding the ending of the film, as Ahn’s life after the assassination was largely ignored.
Some insist that what Ahn did after the dramatic act was more significant than the act itself.
![The Lushun prison where Ahn was executed on March 26, 1910. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/02/02/5a66eb42-dce0-4004-a8a3-6f8ca6823ef9.jpg)
The Lushun prison where Ahn was executed on March 26, 1910. [JOONGANG ILBO]
![The Lushun prison building will open to the public in June after being refurbished. Ahn Jung-geun, a Korean independence fighter during the early period of Japanese colonial rule, was executed at the prison on March 26, 1910. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/02/02/240142d7-3a8f-4fa4-b74d-5b79aa5b3124.jpg)
The Lushun prison building will open to the public in June after being refurbished. Ahn Jung-geun, a Korean independence fighter during the early period of Japanese colonial rule, was executed at the prison on March 26, 1910. [JOONGANG ILBO]
After the assassination, Ahn was arrested by Russian authorities, but due to political pressure from Japan, he was transferred to Japanese custody. Despite an unfair trial, he clearly laid out 15 reasons for assassinating Ito, including forcing Korea to sign the Eulsa Treaty (1905), which made Korea a Japanese protectorate. Ahn also asked Japan to push back the date of his execution because he wanted to finish writing his political essay “On Peace in the East,” which outlines his vision for peace in East Asia, and his autobiography.
However, the promise was not kept.
Ahn was hanged on March 26, 1910, at the age of 31. The whereabouts of his remains are unknown.
![A part of Ahn Jung-geun's unfinished essay ″On Peace in the East″ which he wrote as he awaited execution in Lushun Prison. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/02/02/0c0151bf-e5d2-4ad7-91c6-4b95bce5e9e3.jpg)
A part of Ahn Jung-geun's unfinished essay ″On Peace in the East″ which he wrote as he awaited execution in Lushun Prison. [JOONGANG ILBO]
BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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