The Korean independence movement was a military and diplomatic campaign to achieve the independence of

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and Sout ...

from

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. After the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910, Korea's domestic resistance peaked in the

March 1st Movement The March 1st Movement, also known as the Sam-il (3-1) Movement (Hangul: 삼일 운동; Hanja: 三一運動), was a protest movement by Korean people and students calling for independence from Japan in 1919, and protesting forced assimilation ...

of 1919, which was crushed and sent Korean leaders to flee into

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

. In China, Korean independence activists built ties with the National Government of the Republic of China which supported the

Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea The Korean Provisional Government (KPG), formally the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, was a partially recognized Korean government-in-exile based in Shanghai, China, and later in Chongqing, during the period of Japanese c ...

(KPG), as a government in exile. At the same time, the Korean Liberation Army, which operated under the Chinese

National Military Council The Military Affairs Commission (MAC) of the National Government, chaired by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II, directed the command of the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China. ...

and then the KPG, led attacks against Japan. After the outbreak of the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the Theater (warfare), theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, ...

in 1941, China became one of the

Allies of World War II The Allies, formally referred to as the United Nations from 1942, were an international military coalition formed during the Second World War (1939–1945) to oppose the Axis powers, led by Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy. ...

. In the

Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese ...

, China attempted to use this influence to assert Allied recognition of the KPG. However, the United States was skeptical of Korean unity and readiness for independence, preferring an international

trusteeship Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to ...

-like solution for the

Korean Peninsula Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic ...

. Although China achieved agreement by the Allies on eventual Korean independence in the Cairo Declaration of 1943, continued disagreement and ambiguity about the postwar Korean government lasted until the

Soviet–Japanese War The Soviet–Japanese War (russian: Советско-японская война; ja, ソ連対日参戦, soren tai nichi sansen, Soviet Union entry into war against Japan), known in Mongolia as the Liberation War of 1945 (), was a militar ...

of 1945 created a ''

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

division of Korea The division of Korea began with the defeat of Japan in World War II. During the war, the Allied leaders considered the question of Korea's future after Japan's surrender in the war. The leaders reached an understanding that Korea would be li ...

into Soviet and American zones, eventually leading to the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

(1950-1953). August 15, the date of the

Surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was Jewel Voice Broadcast, announced by Emperor of Japan, Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally Japanese Instrument of Surrender, signed on 2 September 1945, End of World War II in A ...

in 1945, is an annual holiday called ''

Gwangbokjeol The National Liberation Day of Korea is a holiday celebrated annually on 15 August in both South and North Korea. It commemorates Victory over Japan Day, when the United States and the Soviet Union liberated Korea from 35 years of Japanese ...

'' ("Restoration of Light Day") in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

, and ''Chogukhaebangŭi nal'' ("Fatherland Liberation Day") in

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and ...

History

Before Japanese rule

The last independent Korean monarchy, the

Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and r ...

dynasty, lasted over 500 years (from 1392 to 1910), both as the Joseon Kingdom and later as the Empire of Korea. Its international status and policies were conducted primarily through careful diplomatic maneuvering with the power ''en vogue'' in China (during this period of time dynastic control of China saw the end of the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fift ...

and the rise and fall of both the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...

and the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

), though other interactions with other international entities were not absent. Through this maneuvering and a dedicated adherence to strict

Neo-Confucianist Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to ''lǐxué'' 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a moral, ethical, and metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, and originated with Han Yu (768–824) and Li Ao (772–841) in t ...

foreign and domestic policies, Joseon Korea retained control over its internal affairs and relative international autonomy though technically a suzerain of the ruling Chinese dynasties for most of this period under the Chinese tributary system. These policies were effective in maintaining Korea's relative independence and domestic autonomy in spite of a number of regional upheavals and a number of invasions (including the

Japanese invasions of Korea Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

from 1592–98 as well as the

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...

and Second Manchu invasions of Korea). However, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the increase of Western imperialism, the weakening of China also made Korea vulnerable to foreign maneuvering and encroachment, both as a target in and of itself and as a stepping-stone to the "larger prize" of China. This period (roughly from 1870 until annexation by Japan in 1910) was marked in Korea by major upheavals, many intrigues, the inability of Joseon Korea and the later Empire of Korea to right itself amidst all of the maneuvering around it by foreign powers, numerous revolts, and other indicators of a turbulent time. By the end of the

First Sino-Japanese War The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 1894 – 17 April 1895) was a conflict between China and Japan primarily over influence in Korea. After more than six months of unbroken successes by Japanese land and naval forces and the loss of the po ...

in 1895 it was evident internationally that China could no longer protect its foreign interests, much less its own, against its opponents, and that its attempts to modernize its military and institutions were unsuccessful. Among other things, the

Treaty of Shimonoseki The , also known as the Treaty of Maguan () in China and in the period before and during World War II in Japan, was a treaty signed at the , Shimonoseki, Japan on April 17, 1895, between the Empire of Japan and Qing China, ending the Fir ...

that ended the

in 1895 stipulated that China would relinquish suzerainty and influence over Korea, recognize Korea's full independence and autonomy, and end the tribute system which had linked China and Korea for many centuries. In practical reality, this stipulation implied the handover of primary outside influence in Korea from China to Japan, as Japanese forces had occupied positions in the

during the course of the war. This paved the way for the Japanese government to tighten its influence on Korea without official Chinese intervention. Korea was declared to be an

empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

in 1897 to put King Gojong on equal legal footing with his neighboring sovereigns and to fully sever Korea's superficial ties of suzerainty to China, however In 1905 the Eulsa Treaty made the Empire of Korea a

protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over most of its int ...

of Japan. In 1907, the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1907 stipulated that Korea's policies would be enacted and enforced under the guidance of the Japanese resident general; and in 1910, through the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty, Japan officially declared its annexation of Korea, a move for which Japan had been preparing for an extended period of time. All of these treaties were procured under duress, and Emperor Sunjong of Korea refused to sign them and considered them illegal and not binding (though he had no real power to oppose its enactment and enforcement). Notably, both the 1905 treaty (and by extension the 1907 treaty) and the 1910 annexation treaty were declared "already null and void" when the normalization of relations between the Republic of Korea and Japan was negotiated in 1965.

Japanese rule

The period of Japanese colonial rule that ensued was oppressive to a far-reaching degree, giving rise to many Korean resistance movements. By 1919 these became nationwide, marked by what became known as the

. Japanese rule was oppressive but changed over time. Initially, there was very harsh repression in the decade following annexation. Japan's rule was markedly different than in its other colony, Formosa. This period is referred to as ''amhukki'' (the dark period) in Korean historiography and common parlance in Korea. Tens of thousands of Koreans were arrested by the Japanese colonial administration for political reasons. The harshness of Japanese rule increased support for the Korean independence movement. Many Koreans left the Korean Peninsula for Manchuria and

Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai (russian: Приморский край, r=Primorsky kray, p=prʲɪˈmorskʲɪj kraj), informally known as Primorye (, ), is a federal subject (a krai) of Russia, located in the Far East region of the country and is a part of th ...

in Russia, some of whom formed resistance groups and societies in

Manchuria Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endodemonym "Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East ( Outer Manc ...

to fight for Korean independence.

Koreans Koreans ( South Korean: , , North Korean: , ; see names of Korea) are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Korean Peninsula. Koreans mainly live in the two Korean nation states: North Korea and South Korea (collectively and simply ref ...

also carried out armed struggles against Japanese forces in Manchuria and Korea. In 1919 and 1920s, Korean independence army units engaged in resistance activities in Manchuria, which traveled across the Korean-Chinese border, using

guerrilla warfare Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or irregulars, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run t ...

to fight against the Japanese army. Some went to Japan, where groups agitated clandestinely. There was a prominent group of Korean Communists in Japan, who were in danger for their political activities. Partly due to Korean opposition to Japanese colonial policies, this was followed by a relaxation of some harsh policies. The Korean crown prince married the Japanese princess Nashimoto. The ban on Korean newspapers was lifted, allowing publication of '' Choson Ilbo'' and ''

The Dong-a Ilbo The ''Dong-A Ilbo'' (, literally ''East Asia Daily'') is a newspaper of record in Korea since 1920 with a daily circulation of more than 1.2 million and opinion leaders as its main readers. ''The Dong-A Ilbo'' is the parent company of Dong-A M ...

''. Korean government workers received the same wages as Japanese officials, though the Japanese officials received bonuses the Koreans did not. Whippings were eliminated for minor offenses but not for others. Laws interfering with burial, slaughtering of animals, peasant markets, or traditional customs were removed or changed. After the Peace Preservation Law of 1925, some freedoms were restricted. Then, in the lead up to the invasion of China and World War II, the harshness of Japanese rule increased again.

World War II diplomacy

Although the Empire of Japan had invaded and occupied northeast China from 1931, the Nationalist Government of China avoided declaring war on Japan until the Empire directly attacked Beijing in 1937, sparking the

. After the United States declared war on Japan in 1941, China became an Ally of World War II, and tried to exercise its influence within the group to support

Pan-Asian Satellite photograph of Asia in orthographic projection. Pan-Asianism (''also known as Asianism or Greater Asianism'') is an ideology aimed at creating a political and economic unity among Asian peoples. Various theories and movements of Pan-Asi ...

and nationalist movements, which included stipulating a demand of the complete surrender of Japan and immediate independence of Korea afterwards. China tried to promote the legitimacy of the Provisional Government of Korea (KPG), which was established by Korean exiles in China after the suppression of the March 1st Movement in Korea. The KPG was ideologically aligned with the Chinese government of the time, as independence leader Kim Gu had agreed to

Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...

's suggestion to adopt the Chinese

Three Principles of the People The Three Principles of the People (; also translated as the Three People's Principles, San-min Doctrine, or Tridemism) is a political philosophy developed by Sun Yat-sen as part of a philosophy to improve China made during the Republican Era. ...

program in exchange for financial aid. At the same time, China supported the leftist independence leader Kim Won-bong and convinced the two Kims to form the unified Korean Liberation Army (KLA). Under the terms in which the KLA was allowed to operate in China, it became an auxiliary of China's

National Revolutionary Army The National Revolutionary Army (NRA; ), sometimes shortened to Revolutionary Army () before 1928, and as National Army () after 1928, was the military arm of the Kuomintang (KMT, or the Chinese Nationalist Party) from 1925 until 1947 in China ...

until 1945. China's

had also decided that "complete independence" for Korea was China's fundamental Korean policy; otherwise, the government in

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a municipality in Southwest China. The official abbreviation of the city, "" (), was approved by the State Cou ...

tried to unify the warring Korean factions. Although Chiang and Korean leaders like

Syngman Rhee Syngman Rhee (, ; 26 March 1875 – 19 July 1965) was a South Korean politician who served as the first president of South Korea from 1948 to 1960. Rhee was also the first and last president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Ko ...

tried to influence the

U.S. State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other na ...

to support Korean independence and recognize the KPG, the Far Eastern Division was skeptical. Its argument was that the Korean people "were emasculated politically" after decades of Japanese rule, and showed too much disunity, preferring a condominium solution for Korea that involved the Soviets. China was adamantly opposed to Soviet influence in Korea after hearing about Soviet atrocities in Poland since its liberation. By the

Cairo Conference The Cairo Conference (codenamed Sextant) also known as the First Cairo Conference, was one of the 14 summit meetings during World War II that occurred on November 22–26, 1943. The Conference was held in Cairo, Egypt, between the United Kingdo ...

, the US and China came to agree on Korean independence "in due course", with China still pressing for immediate recognition of the exile government and a tangible date for independence. After Soviet-American relations deteriorated, on August 10, 1945 the

United States Department of War The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, a ...

agreed that China should land troops in

Pusan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, ...

, Korea from which to prevent a Soviet takeover. However, this turnaround was too late to prevent the

, as the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian language, Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist R ...

quickly occupied northern Korea that same month.

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 partially modernized

Korean Empire The Korean Empire () was a Korean monarchical state proclaimed in October 1897 by Emperor Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. The empire stood until Japan's annexation of Korea in August 1910. During the Korean Empire, Emperor Gojong oversaw the G ...

. This was the result of Japan's political maneuvers to secure international approval for the annexation of treaty annexing Korea. During the independence movement, the rest of the world viewed what was occurring in Korea as an

anti-imperialist Anti-imperialism in political science and international relations is a term used in a variety of contexts, usually by nationalist movements who want to secede from a larger polity (usually in the form of an empire, but also in a multi-ethnic ...

, anti-militarist, 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 has been criticized as recently as 2011 for not accepting Korean socialists who fought for Korean independence.

Tactics

There was no main strategy or tactic that was prevalent throughout the resistance movement, but there were stages where certain tactics or strategies were prominent. From 1905 to 1910, most of the movement’s activities were closed off to the elite class or rare scholar. During this time, militaristic and violent attempts were taken to resist the Japanese including

assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not ha ...

. Most of the attempts were disorganized, scattered, and leaderless to prevent arrests and surveillance by the Japanese. From 1910 to 1919, was a time of education during the colonial era. Many Korean textbooks on grammar and spelling were circulated in schools. It started the trend of intellectual resistance to Japanese colonial rule. This period, along with

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

’s progressive principles abroad, created an aware, nationalist, and eager student population. After the

March 1st movement The March 1st Movement, also known as the Sam-il (3-1) Movement (Hangul: 삼일 운동; Hanja: 三一運動), was a protest movement by Korean people and students calling for independence from Japan in 1919, and protesting forced assimilation ...

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 led to the improvement of school facilities. From 1911 to 1937, Korea was dealing with economic problems (with the rest of the world, 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 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 Christian groups which grew out of missionary efforts led by Western missionaries primarily from the United States prior to the Japanese occupation; (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 The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

arrived in Korea towards the end of the 18th century, facing intense persecution for the centuries afterwards.

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

and

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their na ...

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 movement active 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 Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK) was a Protestant denomination based in South Korea; it is currently separated into many branches. History The first Korean Presbyterian church was founded by Seo Sang-ryun in Hwanghae province in 1884. Shor ...

* March 1 Movement * Korean YMCA

Military and the Irregular army groups

Donghak Peasant Revolution The Donghak Peasant Revolution (), also known as the Donghak Peasant Movement (), Donghak Rebellion, Peasant Revolt of 1894, Gabo Peasant Revolution, and a variety of Donghak Peasant Revolution#Role played by Donghak, other names, was an armed ...

: Donghak armies were spontaneous countryside uprisings, originally against corruption in the late Joseon dynasty, and later, against Japanese confiscation of lands in Korea. * Righteous army: 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 II. * Greater Korea Independence Army () * Northern Military Administration Office Army () * Greater Korea Independence Corps () * Korea Revolution Army () * Korea Independence Army () * Korean Volunteer Corps () *

Korean Volunteer Army The Yan'an faction () were a group of pro-China communists in the North Korean government after the division of Korea following World War II. The group was involved in a power struggle with pro-Soviet factions but Kim Il-sung was eventually able ...

() * Korean Liberation Army: The Armed Forces of the

, took part in allied action in China and parts of Southern East Asia such as

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

. * Korean Patriotic Legion () * Heroic Corps () 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, northeast China, parts of Russia, Hawaii, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Groups were even organised in areas without many expatriate Koreans, such as the one established in 1906 in

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

by Park Hee Byung. The culmination of expatriate success was the Shanghai declaration of independence. * Korean National Army Corps (), founded in June 1914. (Hawaii) * Korean National Association () * Young Korean Academy ()

Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-sen (; also known by several other names; 12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925) Singtao daily. Saturday edition. 23 October 2010. section A18. Sun Yat-sen Xinhai revolution 100th anniversary edition . was a Chinese politician who serv ...

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 The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...

, and from early communist supporters, who later branched into the

Chinese Communist Party The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil ...

. Little real support came through, but that which did develop 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, comprehensive assassinations of Korean royalty by Japanese mercenaries, and surveillance by Japanese authorities 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 dead by 1918, and

cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

members of the families contributed towards establishing both republics post-1945.

List of notable leaders of the movements

Before Annexation Period

* Yi Han-eung * Choe Ik-hyeon * Min Yeong-hwan * Shin Dol-seok * Yi Tjoune * Yi Wi-jong * Choe Sihyeong

Provisional Government

* Ahn Chang Ho * Hong Jin (Hong Myun-hui) * Jo So-ang * Kim Gu *

Kim Kyu-sik Kim Kyu-sik, also spelled Kimm Kiusic (Korean:김규식, Hanja:金奎植, January 29, 1881 – December 10, 1950), was a Korean politician and academic during the Korean independence movement and a leader of the Provisional Government of the R ...

* Lee Beom-seok * No Baek-rin * Park Eunsik *

* Yang Gi-tak * Yi Dong-hwi * Yi Dong-nyung * Yi Sang-ryong

Edification movement leaders

* Ahn Chang Ho * Han Kyu-seol * Jeong Jong-myeong * Cho Man-sik * Yi Sang-jae * Yi Sang-seol

Leaders who engaged in armed struggle

An Jung-geun Ahn Jung-geun, sometimes spelled Ahn Joong-keun (; 2 September 1879 – 26 March 1910; baptismal name: Thomas Ahn ), was a Korean-independence activist, nationalist, and pan-Asianist. He is famous for assassination of Itō Hirobumi, the first ...

* * An Gong-geun * Choi Jae-hyung * Choi Jin-dong * Jo Do-seon * Yoo Dong-ha * Kang Woo-kyu * Jang In-hwan * Jeon Myeong-un * Cho Myung-ha * Kim Ik-sang * Kim Ji-seop * Kim Sang-ok * Lee Bong-chang * Lee Hoe-yeong * Na Seok-ju * Park Jae-hyeok * Park Yeol * Pyeon Gang-ryeol * Yoon Bong-Gil * Gu Young-pil * Kim Sang-yoon * Park Byeong-gil * Park Jang-ho * Baek Nam-sik * Baek Jung Gi * Yeom Dong-jin * Woo Deok-soon * Lee Seong-rim * In Han-soo * Chaechan * Kim Si-hyun * Lee Gu-yeon * Lee Jung-gu * Lim Chi-jung * Kim Doo-hwa * Won Tae-woo * Jeongshin * Chae Eung-eon * Han Sang-ryeol * Han Hoon * Hwang Byeong-gil * Ma Man-bong * Jang Gi-cho * Choe Ja-nam * Hyun Ik-cheol * Cho Maeng-seon * Lee Joon-yong * Im Deuk-san * Jang Chang-heon * Lee Jin-ryong * Kim Rip * Ok Kwan-bin * Oh Seong-ryun * Lee Jong-am * Kim Bong-hwan * Lee Kwang-su * Lee Hye-su * Hyun Joon-hyuk * Ahn Doo-hee *

Kim Jong-suk Kim Jong-suk (; 24 December 1917Suh Dae-sook. Kim Il Sung: The North Korean Leader. New York: Columbia University Press, 1988. – 22 September 1949) was a Korean anti-Japanese guerrilla, a Communist activist, North Korean leader Kim ...

* Hong Beom-do * Jeong Jin-ryong * Na Cheol * Kang Won-sang * Lee Kang * Lee Gyu-pung * Lee Beom-yoon * Won Tae-geun * Bae Gyeong-jin * Kim Seong-hwa * Tak Gong-gyu * Yoo Seung-ryeol * Kim Hong-il * Lee Gyeong-hee * Yang Geun-hwan * Yoo Seok-hyun * An Gyeong-shin * Lee Cheol * Hong Pil-ju * Oh Gi-ho * Kim In-sik * Kim Dong-pil * Lee Hong-rae * Kim Kwang-chu * Park Hee-kwang * Kim Byeong-hyun * Lee Jae-myeong * Seo Sang-han * Na Chang-heon
Kim Chang-geun
* Lee Jun-yong * Kim Tae-won * Lee Yong-dam * Joo Sang-ok
Kim Taek-suJeong Chang-hwaBaek Un-hanLee Myeong-seoKim Geun-haHam IlKim Jin-hwa
* Lee Gi * Noh Eung-gyu
Seo Eun-guEom Hae-yoonNoh Gong-ilKim Choe-myeong
* Han Bong-su
Kang Sang-moKang Lee-bongMoon Tae-suShin Myeong-seonKim Dong-shinKang Jin-wonKo Du-hwanKwon Young-manKeum Gi-cheolHan Sang-seolKim Hyeon-gukWoo Jae-ryongKim Deok-soonKim Dong-sikKim Man-suKim Beom-iKim Byeong-rokKim Bong-wonKim Bong-hak
* Kim Seong-beom * Kim Si-jung * Lee Kang-nyeon
Kim Sang-taeKim Young-cheolKim Seong-taek
* Hwang Byung-hak
Kim Eung-baekKim Lee-seopKim Il-wonKim Su-gokYun Heung-gonKim Jeong-ikCho Chang-hoJeon Tae-seonLee Dong-suKim I-geolKim Jong-cheolKim Jin-man
* Park Sang-jin
Kim Jin-wooJeong Un-ilChoi Byung-gyuKim Jin-junCho Chang-ryongKim Chang-gonKo Bong-junKim Han-jongKim Gyeong-taeIm Bong-juKwon Sang-seokJang Doo-hwanNa Byeong-samKim HanMoon Chang-hakPark Gi-han
* Lee Tak
Cha Byeong-jeSon Chang-junLee Woo-youngAn Gyeong-sikJoo Byeong-ungPark Jin-taePark Gi-jePark Do-gyeongPark Bong-seokPark Yeon-baekPark In-hwaPark Jung-seoMin Yang-giSeo Byung-heeSeong Ik-hyunSon Deok-oh
* Song Hak-seon
Yeo Haeng-ryeolYoon Heung-gonLee Kwang-hoLee Kyo-young
* Lee Seong-gu
Cha Do-seon
* Tae Yang-uk
Hong Sung-ikLee Myeong-gyun
* Cho Seong-hwan * Chae Sang-deok
Kang Mu-gyeongKim Won-gukKim Jun-seungNoh Jong-gyunMoon Yang-mokChoi Jeong-ik
* Jeong Jae-gwan
Lee Hak-hyunBaek Nak-ju
* Seo Il * Kim Chwa-chin
Sim Nam-ilAn Kwang-joOh Seung-taeAn Gyu-hongJeong Ki-chanAhn Byung-chanYang Seung-wooOh Sung-sulYoo Jang-ryeolLee Hyeon-gyu

Military leaders

* Hong Beom-do * Hwang Byeong-gil * Ji Cheong-cheon * Kim Dubong * Kim Jwa-jin * Kim Wonbong * Lee Beom-seok * Nam Ja-hyun * Park Yong-man * Seo Il * Seo Yun-je * Yang Sebong * Yun Se-ju * Bang Kyung-han * Kim Il-Sung * Choi Jin Dong

Religion/Student leaders

* Han Yong-un * Kim Maria * Son Byong Hi * * Yu Gwansun * Choe Sang-rim * Lee Yong-do * Gye Ji-pung * Kim Gyo-shin * Kim Dong-seok * Kim Beop-rin * Kim Seong-su * Na Geum-ju *

Mangong Mangong (, 1871–1946) or Song Mangong was a Korean Buddhist monk, independence activist, scholar, poet, writer, and philosopher during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Mangong was born in Jeongeup, Jeonbuk Province in 1871 and was orda ...

* Park Sun-cheon * Park Young-hee * Park Hyeong-mu * Seo Yun-je * An Sang-deok * An Jeong-geun *

Yun Chi-young Yun Chi-Young (Korea:윤치영, hanja:尹致暎, February 10, 1898 – February 10, 1996) was an independence activist, journalist, and politician, diplomat of South Korea. He was the first Interior Minister (1948), 2nd Republic of Korea Ambass ...

* Lee Un-hyeong * Lee Jong-uk * Lee Chu-hyeong * Jeon Deok-gi * Cho Gi-shin * Chu Ki-chol * Cha Mirisa * Cha Sang-myeong * Choe Yong-shin * Hwang Ae-deok * Lee Su-heung * Ham Tae-young * Kim Iryeop * Baek Seong-uk * Gil Seon-ju * Kim Byeong-cho * Park Hee-do * Yongseong *

Son Byong-hi Son Byong-hi (April 8, 1861 – May 19, 1922) was a Korean religious leader and independence activist. He was born in Cheongju, in Chungcheong province. He became the third leader of Donghak (Eastern learning), an indigenous religious movement f ...

* Shin Seok-gu *

Oh Se-chang Oh, OH, or Oh! is an interjection, often proclaiming surprise. It may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Albums * ''Oh!'' (Girls' Generation album), 2010 * ''Oh!'' (ScoLoHoFo album), 2003 * '' OH (ohio)'', by Lambchop, 2008 * ''Oh!'', an ...

Lee Seung-hoon Lee Seung-hoon (Hangul: 이승훈, Hanja: , ; born 6 March 1988) is a South Korean speed skater. He won a gold medal in the 10,000 metres, a silver medal in the 5000 meters at the 2010 Winter Olympics, becoming the first and only Asian man ev ...

* Han Yong-un * Kim Gyo-heon *

* Jonghyeong * Yoon Se-bok * Jo So-ang

Historians

An Jae-hong Ahn Jae-hong (, December 31, 1891 – March 1, 1965) was a Korean activist, politician, and journalist who participated in the Korean independence movement. See also * Korea Independence Party - Ahn Jae-hong was a member of the party here ...

Choe Nam-seon Choe Nam-seon (April 26, 1890 – October 10, 1957), also known by the Japanese pronunciation of his name Sai Nanzen, was a prominent modern Korean historian, pioneering poet, and publisher, and a leading member of the Korean independence moveme ...

* Jeong Inbo * Mun Il-pyeong * Park Eunsik * Shin Chae-ho * Song Nam-heon * Song Du-yong

Writers/Poets

* Sim Hun * Yi Yuksa (Yi Wonnok) *

Yun Dong-ju Yun Dong-ju or Yoon Dong-ju (, ; December 30, 1917 – February 16, 1945) was a Korean poet born in Longing, Jilin, China,""Yoon Dongju" LTI Korea Datasheet available at LTI Korea Library or online at: who was known for his lyric poetries as ...

Soh Jaipil Soh Jaipil or Seo Jae-pil (January 7, 1864 – January 5, 1951), also known as Philip Jaisohn, was a Korean- American political activist and physician who was a noted champion of the Korean independence movement, the first Korean naturalized ci ...

* Kang Kyeong-ae * Gong Deok-gwi * Gwak Sang-hoon * Kim Kwang-seop * Kim Gyo-shin * Kim Seong-suk * Kim Jun-yop * Kim Hyun-chul * Baek Gwan-su * Mirok Li * Yi Sang-baek * Lee Jong-hak * Lee Hee-seung * Jang Do-bin *

Chu Yo-han Chu Yo-han (5 December 1900 – 17 November 1979) was a twentieth-century Korean poet, journalist, businessman and politician."Joo Yohan" LTI Korea Datasheet available at LTI Korea Library or online at: He came from the Shinan Chu clan (신 ...

* Choe Du-seon * Heo Jeong * Hyun Jin-geon * Hong Seung-ro * Jung Nosik * Kim Myeong-sun * Na Hye-sok * Park In-deok * Chung Chil-sung * Lee Jong-il * Han Yong-un * Kim Dong-sam * Kim Yak-yeon * Kim Chwa-chin * Sin Ik-hui * Lee Beom-seok *

Communist leaders

* Kim Il-Sung * Pak Hon-yong, a noted

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, ...

leader * Yuh Woon-Hyung associated with Communists during the 20s, but later left * Gye Bong-woo * Kim Dan-ya * Kim San * Kim Yak-su * Kim Jae-bong * Kim Jun-yeon * Na Kyung-seok * Yoo Jin-hee * Yun Gong-heum * Yun Ja-young * Im Won-geun * Ju Se-juk * Cha Geum-bong * Choe Chang-ik * Ho Ka-i * Ho Jong-suk *

Ho Hon Ho Hon ( ko, 허헌; 22 July 1885 – 16 August 1951) was a Korean independence activist in Japanese controlled Korea and politician in the early years of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). As a lawyer, he defended indepen ...

* Hyun Jeong-gyeong * Kang Kon *

Kim Kwang-hyop Kim Kwang-hyop ( ko, 김광협, 1915 – 1970) was a politician anti-Japanese activist and a military officer and politician of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (commonly, North Korea). He served as Chief of the General Staff of the Kore ...

Kim Tu-bong Kim Tu-bong (16 February 1889 – March 1958 or later) was the first Chairman of the Workers' Party of North Korea (a predecessor of today WPK) from 1946 to 1949. He was known in Korean history as a linguist, scholar, revolutionary and politic ...

* Mu Chong * Kim Yong-bom * Kim Ung * Kim Won-bong * Kim Il * Kim Chang-man *

Kim Chaek Kim Chaek (, 14 August 1903 – 31 January 1951) was a North Korean revolutionary, military general, and politician. His real name was Kim Hong-gye (). Life Kim Chaek was born in Sŏngjin, North Hamgyong, Korea, in 1903. He and his family ...

* Ryu Gyeong-su * Yi Kang-guk * Lee Hyo-sun * Pak Kum-chol * Bang Ho-san * Paek Nam-Un * Sung Jusik * Oh Hwa-young * Yi Kuk-no * Lee Hyun-sang * Cho Myeong-seon * Choe Deok-sin * Choe Yong-dal * Choein *

Choe Hyon Choe Hyon (, 6 May 1907 – 10 April 1982), also known as Sai Ken (after the Japanese language, Japanese pronunciation of his name), was a North Korean general and politician. Koreans in China, Born in China to ethnic Korean parents, Choe fough ...

* Ho Song-taek * Hong Myong-hui * Hwang Tae-seong *

* Choerin * Mun Si-hwan * Lee yung * Yi Dong-hwi * Hong Beom-do * Kang Hae-seok * Kang Young-seok * Byeon Hee-yong * Bang Joon-pyo * Kang Dal-young * Jeong Jin-ryong * Tjyongoui Yi

Foreign supporters

* Ernest Bethell * Frank Schofield * Fumiko Kaneko * George Show * Homer Hulbert *

Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1 ...

Chou En-lai Zhou Enlai (; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman and military officer who served as the first premier of the People's Republic of China from 1 October 1949 until his death on 8 January 1976. Zhou served under Chairman Mao ...

* Mao Tse-tung * Tatsuji Fuse

References

Jin Y. Park, ed. 'Makers of Modern Korean Buddhism'Albany: State University of New York Press, 2009

External links

Brief article on Korean Independence
from Japanese Press Translations, Dartmouth College Library {{Authority control Republicanism in Korea 20th century in Korea Japan–Korea relations Foreign relations of the Republic of China (1912–1949)