Korean independence movement

Korean independence movement
Hangul	항일운동, 독립운동
Hanja	抗日運動, 獨立運動
Revised Romanization	Hangilundong, Dongnipundong
McCune–Reischauer	Hangilundong, Tongnipundong

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The Korean independence movement grew out of the Japanese colonial rule of Korea from 1910-1945.

Contents 1 Background 2 Ideologies and Concerns 3 Tactics 4 Types of movements 4.1 Religious groups 4.2 Military groups 4.3 Expatriate groups 4.4 Royalist influence 5 Leaders of the movements 5.1 Before annexation to Japan 5.2 Provisional Government 5.3 Edification movement leaders 5.4 Patriotic assassins 5.5 Military leaders 5.6 Religion/Student leaders 5.7 Historians 5.8 Poets 5.9 Communist leaders 5.10 Foreign supporters 6 References 7 See also

Background

During the nearly five centuries of the Joseon dynasty, Korea kept its independence through careful diplomacy with China. Joseon scholars, because of their belief in Confucianism and the idea of China as the "Big Brother", paid tribute to China to effectively prevent conflicts.

In the late nineteenth century, Joseon became vulnerable to Japan's expansionism, resulting in the Eulsa Annexation Treaty. In 1910, Japan annexed Korea, leading to a Korean independence movement that culminated in a Korean Declaration of Independence during March 1 Movement. In large part the declaration was stimulated by the statements of American President Woodrow Wilson on 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."

Ideologies and Concerns

Although there were many separate movements within the Korean Independence Movement with grievances against Japan, the main ideology or purpose of the movement was to gain Korean independence from Japanese rule. Korea was concerned with alien domination and Korea’s state as a colony. Korea desired to become an independent sovereign political state. During the movement, the rest of the world viewed Korea’s Independence movement as a racial anti-imperialist, anti-militarist rebellion, and an anti-Japanese resistance movement. ^[1]Korea on the other had believed itself to be a movement to preserve culture and language. Education was a key concern in the movement. It was high priority to teach Korean students in Universities, in Korea or Japan, about the importance of culture, language, and heritage. Korean’s nationalism and patriotism were prevalent throughout the Korean Independence Movement. ^[2]

Tactics

There was no main strategy or tactic that was prevalent throughout the entire independent movement, but there were prominent stages where certain tactics or strategies were prominent throughout the Korean Independence Movement. ^[3] 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 for the Korean colony. 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 libertarian principles, created an aware, nationalist, and eager student population. ^[4] After the March 1st movement of 1919, strikes became prominent in the Korean Independence Movement. Up to 1945, Universities were used as a haven and source of students who further supported the independence 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 1. 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. 1926, is when the disputes started to increase at a fast pace and movements concerning labor emerged more within the Independence Movement. ^[5]

Types of movements

There were broadly three kinds of national liberation groups: (a) the religious groups which grew out of the Confucianist 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

Catholicism had been introduced to Korea towards the end of the 18th century and faced intense persecution.^[6]. 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^[7].

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^[8]. Korean Christians suffered martyrdoms, crucifixions, burnings to death, police interrogations and massacres by the Japanese^{[citation needed]}.

Amongst the major religious nationalist groups were:

• Korean Presbyterian church
• March first movement
• Korean YMCA

Military groups

Amongst the major military nationalist groups were:

• Donghak Peasant Revolution Groups were spontaneous countryside uprisings, originally against corruption in the late Joseon dynasty, and later, against Japanese confiscation of land.
• Righteous army Small ad hoc armies that fought Japanese military police, cavalry and infantry most intensely from 1907-1918, but which carried on till the end of World War II.
• Korea Independence Army
• Korea Revolution Army
• Korea Volunteer Corps
• Korean Liberation Army The Armed Forces of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, took part in allied action in China and parts of South East Asia such as Burma.
• Korean Peoples Revolutionary Army A politically Socialist group which was largely active in Manchuria and China.
• Greater Korea Liberation Corps The result of regrouping dozens of smaller independent armies. Largely active in Siberia, Irkutsk and Manchuria, led by General Yi Dong-whi.
• Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army in Manchuria (the North-East region of China) occupied by Japan was organized by the Manchuria Branch of the Communist Party of China. It had some 45,000 partisans at its peak in late-1930's. Many ethnic Koreans participated this army and used Chinese Manchuria as a place to fight Japan. Kim Il Sung was commander of the 6th Division, 2nd Army, and 1st Route Army, Chu Chin was commander of the 2nd Army when he was killed by a traitor. Choe Hyon commanded the 4th Division of the same Army. The 7th Army of the 2nd Route Army was commanded by Yi Hak Man and Choe Yong Gun (later to become Defense Minister of North Korea). Kim Chaek was political commissar of the 3rd Army of the 3rd Route Army.
• Korean Patriotic Legion

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.^{[citation needed]} Groups were even organised in areas without many expatriate Koreans, such as the one established in 1906 in Colorado by Park Hee Byung.^[9] The culmination of expatriate success was the Shanghai declaration of independence.

• Korean National Army Corps- founded in June 1914. (Hawaii)^{[citation needed]}
• The Korean National Association
• Heungsadan
• Korean Youth Army
• Korean Liberation League

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.

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 army 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.

Leaders of the movements

Before annexation to Japan

• Choe Ik-hyeon
• Shin Dol-seok
• Min Yeong-hwan
• Yi Jun
• Yi Wi-jong

Provisional Government

• Kim Gu
• Syngman Rhee
• Ahn Chang Ho
• Park Eunsik
• Kim Kyu-sik
• Yi Sang-ryong
• Yang Gi-tak
• Hong Jin (Hong Myun-hui)
• Yi Dong-nyung
• 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-hwan
• Jeon Myeong-un
• An Jung-geun
• Lee Bong-chang
• Yoon Bong-Gil
• Kim Sang-ok
• Kim Ik-sang
• Park Jae-hyeok
• Kim Ji-seop
• Gang Ugyu
• Pyeon Gang-ryeol
• Lee Hoe-yeong
• Na Seok-ju
• Jo Myeong-ha

Military leaders

• An Jung-geun
• Kim Jwa-jin
• Hong Beom-do
• Ji Cheong-cheon
• Lee Beom-seok
• 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

Historians

• Shin Chae-ho
• Park Eunsik
• An Jae-hong
• Jeong Inbo
• Mun Il-pyeong

Poets

• Sim Hun
• Yun Tong-ju
• Yi Wonnok byname Yi Yuk-sa

Communist leaders

• Pak Hon-yong, a noted Communist leader
• Yuh Woon-Hyung associated with Communists during the 20s, but later left

Foreign supporters

• Ernest Bethel
• Frank Schofield
• Homer Hulbert
• George Show
• Fumiko Kaneko

References

See also

• List of Korea-related topics
• History of Korea
• Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
• Korean Liberation Army
• March 1st Movement
• June 10th Movement
• Gwangju Students Anti-Japanese Movement