Meritorious Service Record

Frederick A. Mackenzie was a war correspondent for the London Daily Mail who visited Korea twice, in 1904 and 1906, documenting Japan’s imperial aggression. He later organized the Korea League in Britain in 1920 to support the Korean independence movement.
In 1904, during the Russo-Japanese War, Mackenzie arrived in Korea via Japan. After witnessing Japan’s atrocities firsthand, he became highly critical of its colonial ambitions. Following the war, he returned to Britain but came back to Korea in 1906, staying until late 1907.
During his time in Korea, Mackenzie extensively documented Japanese exploitation and the activities of Korean resistance fighters. His work culminated in the publication of “The Tragedy of Korea” (1908), in which he exposed Japan’s oppressive rule and called attention to Korea’s plight.
In 1909, after An Jung-geun’s assassination of Itō Hirobumi, Mackenzie gained further recognition as he had predicted such an event due to Japan’s exploitative rule over Korea.
Following the March 1st Movement of 1919, he wrote “Korea’s Fight for Freedom” (1920), which criticized Japan’s brutal suppression of the Korean independence movement and expressed strong support for Korean self-determination. Around November of that year, he pledged to Kim Kyu-sik that he would do everything possible to advocate for Korea’s independence.
On October 26, 1920, in London, Mackenzie founded the Korea League (韓國親友會) to rally British support for the Korean independence movement. The inaugural meeting took place in Room No. 6 of the British House of Commons, with 62 influential figures in attendance, including 17 Members of Parliament, six prominent academics (including the Principal of the University of Edinburgh), four journalists, nine clergymen, and three noblemen. During the event, Mackenzie denounced Japan’s colonial policies and vowed to raise awareness of Korea’s struggle for independence. He was subsequently elected as one of the league’s seven executive members.
In 1922, shortly after the Washington Naval Conference, Mackenzie wrote to Syngman Rhee, informing him that the conference had failed to challenge Japan’s colonial rule over Korea. Later that year, he met with Korean Provisional Government officials in Moscow, including Lee Hee-kyung (李喜儆), to relay updates on the Korea League’s activities.
Mackenzie continued to advocate for Korea’s independence until his death in July 1931.
The South Korean government awarded him the Order of Merit for National Foundation (Independence Medal) in 2014 in recognition of his contributions to the Korean independence movement.