Korean independence movement
Encyclopedia
The Korean independence movement grew out of the Japanese colonial rule
of the Korean peninsula
from 1910 to 1945. After the Japanese surrendered
, Korea
became independent; that day is now an annual holiday called Gwangbokjeol
(literally "Restoration of Light Day") in South Korea
, and Chogukhaebangŭi nal (literally "Liberation of Fatherland Day") in North Korea
.
in the 1905 Eulsa Treaty, and officially annexed
in 1910 through the annexation treaty
.
However, Japanese oppressive rule was caused to the many Korean resistance movement that first arose in the nationwide March 1st Movement
in 1919. In large part, the movement was stimulated by the statements of US President Woodrow Wilson
on the idea of self-determination
at the Paris Peace Conference
in January 1919, at which he began: "A new era, wakes before our eyes, the old world of force is gone, and the new world of righteousness and truth is here."
, which was the result of Japan's political maneuvers to invade Korea by manipulating international community to legitimize a false annexation treaty signed under military coercion. During the independence movement, the rest of the world viewed Korea's resistance movement as a racial anti-imperialist, anti-militarist rebellion, and an anti-Japanese resistance movement. Koreans, however, saw the movement as a step to free Korea from the Japanese military rule.
The South Korean government is criticized for not accepting Korean socialists who fought for the Korean independence.
and Christian communities; (b) the former military and the irregular army groups; and (c) business and intellectual expatriates who formed the theoretical and political framework abroad.
The early Korean Christian missionaries both led the Korean independence from 1890 through 1907, and later the creation of a Korean liberation movement from 1907 to 1945. Korean Christians suffered martyrdoms, crucifixions, burnings to death, police interrogations and massacres by the Japanese.
Amongst the major religious nationalist groups were:
Amongst the major military nationalist groups were:
Supporters of these groups included French, Czech, Chinese and Russian arms merchants, as well as Chinese nationalist movements.
by Park Hee Byung
. The culmination of expatriate success was the Shanghai declaration of independence.
Sun Yat-Sen
was an early supporter of Korean struggles against Japanese invaders. By 1925, Korean expatriates began to cultivate two-pronged support in Shanghai: from Chiang Kai-Shek's Kuomintang
, and from early communist supporters, who later branched into the Communist Party of China
.
Little real support came through, but that which did developed long standing relationships that contributed to the dividing of Korea after 1949, and the polar positions between south and north.
commanders were linked to the family but these generals and their Righteous army
groups were largely eliminated by 1918; and cadet members of the families contributed towards establishing both republics post-1945.
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
of the Korean peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
from 1910 to 1945. After the Japanese surrendered
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
became independent; that day is now an annual holiday called Gwangbokjeol
Gwangbokjeol
Gwangbokjeol, celebrated annually on August 15, is one of the Public holidays in South Korea. It commemorates Victory over Japan Day, which liberated Korea from colonial rule...
(literally "Restoration of Light Day") in South Korea
Public holidays in South Korea
Public holidays in South Korea each belong to one or more of three categories:*National Celebration Day *National Flag Raising Day *Public Day Off...
, and Chogukhaebangŭi nal (literally "Liberation of Fatherland Day") in North Korea
Public holidays in North Korea
This is a list of Public holidays in North Korea. See also the Korean calendar for a list of traditional holidays....
.
Background
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Korea was occupied and declared a Japanese protectorateProtectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
in the 1905 Eulsa Treaty, and officially annexed
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
in 1910 through the annexation treaty
Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty
The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910, also known as the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty, was made by representatives of the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire in 1910. Negotiations were concluded on August 20, 1910...
.
However, Japanese oppressive rule was caused to the many Korean resistance movement that first arose in the nationwide March 1st Movement
March 1st Movement
The March 1st Movement, or Samil Movement, was one of the earliest public displays of Korean resistance during the occupation of the Korean Empire by Japan. The name refers to an event that occurred on March 1, 1919, hence the movement's name, literally meaning "Three-One Movement" or "March First...
in 1919. In large part, the movement was stimulated by the statements of US President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
on the idea of self-determination
Self-determination
Self-determination is the principle in international law that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference...
at the Paris Peace Conference
Paris Peace Conference, 1919
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
in January 1919, at which he began: "A new era, wakes before our eyes, the old world of force is gone, and the new world of righteousness and truth is here."
Ideologies and concerns
Although there were many separate movements against colonial rule, the main ideology or purpose of the movement was to free Korea from the Japanese military and political rule. Koreans were concerned with alien domination and Korea’s state as a colony. They desired to restore Korea's independent political sovereignty after Japan invaded the weakened and unmoderized Korean EmpireKorean Empire
The Greater Korean Empire was an empire of Korea that succeeded the Joseon Dynasty.In October 1897, Emperor Gojong proclaimed the new entity at Gyeongungung Palace and oversaw the partially successful modernization of the military, economy, land system, education system, and various industries...
, which was the result of Japan's political maneuvers to invade Korea by manipulating international community to legitimize a false annexation treaty signed under military coercion. During the independence movement, the rest of the world viewed Korea's resistance movement as a racial anti-imperialist, anti-militarist rebellion, and an anti-Japanese resistance movement. Koreans, however, saw the movement as a step to free Korea from the Japanese military rule.
The South Korean government is criticized for not accepting Korean socialists who fought for the Korean independence.
Tactics
There was no main strategy or tactic that was prevalent throughout the entire resistance movement, but there were prominent stages where certain tactics or strategies were prominent throughout the movement. From 1905 to 1910, most of the movement’s activities were closed off to the elite class or rare scholar. During this time period, militaristic and violent attempts were taken to resist the Japanese and most of the attempts were not organized, scattered, and leaderless to prevent arrests and surveillance by Japan. From 1910 to 1919, was the time of education during the colonial era. During this time was when many Korean textbooks on grammar and spelling were circulated in schools. It started the trend of Intellectual resistance to the Japanese rule. This educating time period along with Woodrow Wilson’s progressive principles, created an aware, nationalist, and eager student population. After the March 1st movement of 1919, strikes became prominent in the movement. Up to 1945, universities were used as a haven and source of students who further supported the movement. This support system in schools led to the improvement of school facilities in Korea. From 1911 to 1937, Korea was dealing with economic problems along with the rest of the world, which was going through the Great Depression after World War I. There were many labor complaints that contributed to the grievances against Japan’s colonial rule. During this time period, there were 159,061 disputes with workers concerned with wages and 1018 disputes involving 68,686 farmers in a tenant position. In 1926 the disputes started to increase at a fast pace and movements concerning labor emerged more within the Independence Movement.Types of movements
There were broadly three kinds of national liberation groups: (a) the religious groups which grew out of the Korean ConfucianistKorean Confucianism
Korean Confucianism is the form of Confucianism developed in Korea. One of the most substantial influences in Korean intellectual history was the introduction of Confucian thought as part of the cultural influence from China...
and Christian communities; (b) the former military and the irregular army groups; and (c) business and intellectual expatriates who formed the theoretical and political framework abroad.
Religious groups
Koreans brought Catholicism to Korea towards the end of the 18th century and faced intense persecution. Methodist and Presbyterian missionaries followed in the 19th century starting off a renaissance with more liberal thoughts on issues of equality and woman's rights, which the strict Confucian tradition would not permit.The early Korean Christian missionaries both led the Korean independence from 1890 through 1907, and later the creation of a Korean liberation movement from 1907 to 1945. Korean Christians suffered martyrdoms, crucifixions, burnings to death, police interrogations and massacres by the Japanese.
Amongst the major religious nationalist groups were:
- Korean Presbyterian church
- March 1 Movement
- Korean YMCA
Military groups
- Donghak Peasant RevolutionDonghak Peasant RevolutionThe Donghak Peasant Revolution, also known as the Donghak Peasant Movement, was an anti-government, anti-feudal and anti-foreign uprising in 1894 in the southern Korea which was the catalyst for the First Sino-Japanese War....
: Donghak armies were spontaneous countryside uprisings, originally against corruption in the late Joseon dynasty, and later, against Japanese confiscation of lands in Korea. - Righteous armyRighteous armyRighteous armies, sometimes called irregular armies or militias, have appeared several times in Korean history, when the national armies were in need of assistance....
: Small armies that fought Japanese military police, cavalry and infantry most intensely from 1907–1918, but which carried on till the end of World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. - Greater Korea Independence Army (대한독립군, 大韓獨立軍)
- Northern Military Administration Office Army (북로군정서, 北路軍政署)
- Greater Korea Independence Corps (대한독립군단, 大韓獨立軍團)
- Korea Revolution Army (조선혁명군, 朝鮮革命軍)
- Korea Independence Army (한국독립군, 韓國獨立軍)
- Korean Volunteer Corps (조선의용대, 朝鮮義勇隊)
- Korean Volunteer Army (조선의용군, 朝鮮義勇軍)
- Korean Liberation ArmyKorean Liberation ArmyThe Korean Liberation Army, established on September 17, 1941 in Chongqing, China, was the armed force of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea...
: The Armed Forces of the Provisional Government of the Republic of KoreaProvisional Government of the Republic of KoreaThe Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was the partially recognised government in exile of Korea, based in Shanghai, China, and later in Chongqing, during the Colonial Korea.-History:...
, took part in allied action in China and parts of Southern East Asia such as Burma. - Korean Patriotic Legion (한인애국단, 韓人愛國團)
- Koreans in the Northeast Anti-Japanese United ArmyNortheast Anti-Japanese United ArmyThe Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army was an anti-Japanese guerrilla army in the Northeast part of China after the occupation of Manchuria by Japan in 1931. It was organized by the Manchuria branches of the Chinese Communist Party . However, it lost direct contact with the CCP headquarter in...
Supporters of these groups included French, Czech, Chinese and Russian arms merchants, as well as Chinese nationalist movements.
Expatriate groups
Expatriate liberation groups were active in Shanghai, Manchuria, parts of Russia, Hawaii, and San Francisco. Groups were even organised in areas without many expatriate Koreans, such as the one established in 1906 in ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
by Park Hee Byung
Park Hee Byung
Park Hee Byung was a Korean independence activist and one of the first Korean immigrants to the U.S. state of Colorado.-Life and death:...
. The culmination of expatriate success was the Shanghai declaration of independence.
- Korean National Army Corps (국민군단, 國民軍團), founded in June 1914. (Hawaii)
- Korean National Association (대한인국민회, 大韓人國民會)
- Young Korean Academy (흥사단, 興士團)
Sun Yat-Sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
was an early supporter of Korean struggles against Japanese invaders. By 1925, Korean expatriates began to cultivate two-pronged support in Shanghai: from Chiang Kai-Shek's Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
, and from early communist supporters, who later branched into the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
.
Little real support came through, but that which did developed long standing relationships that contributed to the dividing of Korea after 1949, and the polar positions between south and north.
Royalist influence
The constant infighting within the Yi family, the nobles, the confiscation of royal assets, the disbanding of the royal army by the Japanese, the execution of seniors within Korea by Japan, and comprehensive assassinations of Korean royalty by Japanese mercenaries, led to great difficulties in royal descendants and their family groups in finding anything but a partial leadership within the liberation movement. A good many of the Righteous armyRighteous army
Righteous armies, sometimes called irregular armies or militias, have appeared several times in Korean history, when the national armies were in need of assistance....
commanders were linked to the family but these generals and their Righteous army
Righteous army
Righteous armies, sometimes called irregular armies or militias, have appeared several times in Korean history, when the national armies were in need of assistance....
groups were largely eliminated by 1918; and cadet members of the families contributed towards establishing both republics post-1945.
Before Colonial Period
- Choe Ik-hyeon
- Shin Dol-seokShin Dol-seokShin Dol-seok was a general of the Righteous Armies who fought against the Japanese army in the early 20th century. He was born in Yeonghae , North Gyeongsang Province. Because of the Eulmi Incident, in which a Korean empress was killed by the Japanese army, and an ordinance prohibiting topknot...
- Min Yeong-hwan
- Yi JunYi JunYi Jun was a Korean judge and diplomat.Yi Jun was born in Bukcheong in the province of South Hamgyong and later worked as a judge in Seoul. In 1907 he and his compatriots Yi Sang-seol and Yi Wi-jong were delegated by Emperor Gojong to attend the Second Hague Peace Conference in The Hague...
- Yi Wi-jongYi Wi-JongYi Wi-Jong was a Korean diplomat and military officer. His father Yi Beom-Jin was a politician. Yi Wi-Jong took part in World War I as a second lieutenant of Imperial Russian Army and died in 1917.- Life :...
Provisional Government
- Kim GuKim GuKim Gu , the sixth and later the last president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, was a Korean politician, educator, leader of Korean independence movement against the Japanese occupation of Korea that lasted from 1910 to 1945, and reunification activist who had struggled for...
- Syngman RheeSyngman RheeSyngman Rhee or Yi Seungman was the first president of South Korea. His presidency, from August 1948 to April 1960, remains controversial, affected by Cold War tensions on the Korean peninsula and elsewhere. Rhee was regarded as an anti-Communist and a strongman, and he led South Korea through the...
- Ahn Chang Ho
- Park EunsikPark EunsikPark Eunsik was a historian and the second President of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai during part of 1925. Soon after the impeachment of Syngman Rhee from the presidency, Park was elected the president, but he soon died from illness while in office...
- Kim Kyu-sikKim Kyu-sikKim Kyu-Sik, also spelled Kimm Giusic and Kimm Kiusic, was a Korean politician and academic during the Korean independence movement and a leader of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea...
- Yi Sang-ryongYi Sang-ryongYi Sang-ryong was a Korean Liberation activist, serving as the third president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea from 1925 to 1926. Yi Sang-ryong, along with Yi Si-yeong and Yi Dong-nyung, started the Military School of the New Rising in 1911.-Notes:...
- Yang Gi-takYang Gi-takYang Gi-tak was one of the leaders of Korean independence movement who served as the 9th president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea from 1933 to 1935....
- Hong JinHong JinHong Jin , also known as Hong Myeon-hui, was a leader of the Korean independence movement. He is also sometimes known by his pen name Mano , and his Christian name, Andre....
(Hong Myun-hui) - Yi Dong-nyungYi Dong-nyungYi Dongnyeong was a Korean independence activist. He served as the fourth , seventh , eighth , tenth , and eleventh President of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in exile in Shanghai, China.Yi Dongnyeong, along with Yi Si-yeong,Yi Hoe-young and Yi Sang-ryong, started the Military...
- Lee Beom-seok
- Yi Dong-hwi
- No Baek-rin
- Jo So-ang
Edification movement leaders
- Ahn Chang Ho
- Jo Man-sik
- Yi Sang-jae
- Yi Sang-seol
- Jeong Jong-myeong
- Han Gyu-seol
Patriotic assassins
- Jang In-hwanJang In-hwanJang In-hwan was a Korean independence activist. He is best known along with Jeon Myeong-un for his role in the 1908 assassination of Japan lobbyist and former American diplomat Durham Stevens.-Incident:Jang, a Christian, emigrated from Korea to Hawaii in February 1905, and from there to the...
- Jeon Myeong-unJeon Myeong-unJeon Myeong-un was a Korean independence activist. He is best known along with Jang In-hwan for his role in the 1908 assassination of Durham Stevens, a former American diplomat in Japan who was later appointed as an advisor to the Joseon Dynasty government.Jeon was a member of the Gongnip...
- An Jung-geunAn Jung-geunAn Jung-geun or Ahn Jung-geun was a Korean independence activist, nationalist, and pan-Asianist....
- Lee Bong-changLee Bong-changLee Bong-chang was a Korean independence activist during the Japanese occupation of Korea. In 1932, he attempted unsuccessfully to assassinate Japanese emperor Hirohito with a hand grenade, which became known as the Sakuradamon Incident.- Biography :Born in Hanseongbu to Lee Jin-gyu , Lee...
- Yoon Bong-GilYoon Bong-GilYoon Bong-Gil was a Korean independence activist and assassin who worked against Japan during Japan's rule over Korea .-Shanghai bombing:...
- Kim Sang-ok
- Kim Ik-sang
- Park Jae-hyeok
- Kim Ji-seop
- Gang Ugyu
- Pyeon Gang-ryeol
- Lee Hoe-yeongLee Hoe-yeongLee Hoe-yeong, or Lee Hoe-Young , also known by Pen name as Woodang , was a Korean Independence Activist and anarchist,and also one of the founders of Shinheung Military Academy in Manchuria...
- Na Seok-ju
- Jo Myeong-ha
- Park Yeol
Military leaders
- An Jung-geunAn Jung-geunAn Jung-geun or Ahn Jung-geun was a Korean independence activist, nationalist, and pan-Asianist....
- Kim Jwa-jinKim Jwa-jinKim Jwa-jin , sometimes called the "Korean Makhno" or by his pen name Baekya, played an important role in the development of Korean nationalism....
- Hong Beom-doHong Beom-doHong Beom-do ; August 27, 1868 – October 25, 1943), was a Korean independence activist. Hong was born in Chasong, North Pyongan.- Biography :...
- Ji Cheong-cheonJi Cheong-cheonJi Cheong-Cheon , also known as Yi Cheong-Cheon was a Korean independence activist during the period of Japanese rule . He later became a South Korean politician...
- Lee Beom-seokLee Beom-seok (Prime Minister)Lee Beom-seok was a Korean independence activist and first prime minister of South Korea from 1948 to 1950. For a time, he also headed the Korean Youth Corps .-Notes:...
- Kim Wonbong
- Kim Dubong
- Yang Sebong
- Seo Il
- Seo Yun-je
- Nam Ja-hyeon
- Yun Se-ju
- Pak Yong-man
- Hwang Byeong-gil
Religion/Student leaders
- Son Byong Hi
- Han Yong-un
- Yi Seung-hun
- Yu Gwansun
- Kim Maria
Historians
- Shin Chae-ho
- Park EunsikPark EunsikPark Eunsik was a historian and the second President of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai during part of 1925. Soon after the impeachment of Syngman Rhee from the presidency, Park was elected the president, but he soon died from illness while in office...
- An Jae-hong
- Jeong Inbo
- Mun Il-pyeong
Communist leaders
- Kim Il-SungKim Il-sungKim Il-sung was a Korean communist politician who led the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to his death...
- Pak Hon-yongPak Hon-yongPak Hon-yong was a Korean independence activist, politician, philosopher and Communist activist. One of the main leaders of the Korean communist movement during Japan's colonial rule . his nickname was Ijung.During the Japanese occupation of Korea, he tried to organize the Korean Communist Party...
, a noted Communist leader - Yuh Woon-Hyung associated with Communists during the 20s, but later left
Foreign supporters
- Chiang Kai-shekChiang Kai-shekChiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
- Ernest BethelErnest BethelErnest Thomas Bethell , who is also known by his Korean name Bae Seol , was a British journalist working in Asia as a correspondent for the Daily Chronicle....
- Frank SchofieldFrank SchofieldDr. Frank W. Schofield was a veterinarian who came to Korea to help liberate the country from Japanese empire. He also taught at Veterinary College of Seoul National University.-References:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2249727/...
- Homer HulbertHomer HulbertHomer Bezaleel Hulbert was an American missionary, journalist and political activist who advocated for the independence of Korea.-Biography:...
- George Show
- Fumiko KanekoFumiko Kanekowas a Japanese anarchist and nihilist who was arrested and convicted for conspiring against the Showa Emperor of Japan by supporting Korean independence. She died in prison.-Early life:...
- Sun Yat-SenSun Yat-senSun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- History of KoreaHistory of KoreaThe Korean Peninsula was inhabited from the Lower Paleolithic about 400,000-500,000 years ago. Archeological evidence indicates that the presence of modern humans in northeast Asia dates to 39,000 years ago. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began...
- Provisional Government of the Republic of KoreaProvisional Government of the Republic of KoreaThe Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was the partially recognised government in exile of Korea, based in Shanghai, China, and later in Chongqing, during the Colonial Korea.-History:...
- Korean Liberation ArmyKorean Liberation ArmyThe Korean Liberation Army, established on September 17, 1941 in Chongqing, China, was the armed force of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea...
- June 10th Movement
- Gwangju Students Anti-Japanese Movement