[3] Yun's connections earned him the rare opportunity to study abroad, and he did so in China, Japan and the United States.

His father, Yun Ung-nyeol, was an official in the Joseon government and as a member of the yangban aristocracy saw that Chi-ho received a proper education.

Yun Chi-ho excelled in his studies of the Confucian classics at the local seodang and even tried to apply to take the civil-service exams (gwageo) at age twelve.

[8] Yun was only sixteen years old at the time, but this experience greatly influenced his thoughts on modernization and opened his eyes to world beyond the isolated "Hermit Kingdom" that Korea had become.

[9] Yun would later travel to Shanghai, China in 1885 where he would attend the Anglo-Chinese College studying English and mathematics, among other things.

Yun Chi-ho viewed Christianity as a strong progressive philosophy that could help Korea catch up with the advancements of Japan and the West.

In particular, he would identify tensions and contradictions between Christian universalism, and the belief that any individual could earn respect and equality as long as they were pious, and the arbitrary demonstrations of white supremacy that he routinely witnessed and experienced.

[11] Yun tried to deny accepting this position, in part because of the dissatisfaction of his election by several classmates due to their white supremacist beliefs.

[5] Yun traveled to Russian Empire to participate in coronation of Nicholas II with some government officials including Min Young-hwan.

[13] Yun also served as the Vice President of the Privy Council of the Joseon Court from 1898 until he was banished in 1899 due to pressure from opposing factions in the government.

While in the Independence Club Yun called for the government to be more representative of its people and even supported the elevation of King Kojong to the title of Gwangmu Emperor.

During his time of Banishment, these groups gave Yun something to work for in the hopes of creating a stronger Korean society.

[6] Yun signed the Japan–Korea Agreement as an acting Minister of Foreign Affair since Yi Ha-young was out of office that day.

Sources from within some of the Enlightenment Movement groups that Yun had taken part in had informed Japanese officials that he had a hand in planning this attempted assassination.

[7] During this time, he didn't write down anything in his diaries, but his experience in the Japanese prison system seemed to have a significant effect on his actions after his release.

In fact, his release can be seen as a turning point for Yun Chi-ho where he began to make many pro-Japanese statements and gives much less support to Korean nationalistic movements.

He who sends a poor boy to school to become more intelligent than his fathers is doing a greater service than he who stirs up students for political agitations.

He who leads an erring man into decent religious life is serving the Korean race better than he who sends ignorant folks to jail for yelling 'mansei'.

[20] According to Yun, the Korean people's part in the Japanese Empire offered them opportunity and access to education and resources they previously never had.

In October 1945, he sent two copies of a letter titled "An Old Man's Ruminations" (한 노인의 명상록), one to John R. Hodge and the other to Syngman Rhee and Kim Ku.

In November 1945, he returned to Korea, and died in GoryeoJeong in Kaesong in December (some allege that he committed suicide, although there is no evidence to support this).