The Soviet Civil Administration (SCA) was the government of the northern half of

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

from 24 August 1945 to 9 September 1948 though governed concurrently after the setup of the

Provisional People's Committee for North Korea The Provisional People's Committee of North Korea () was the provisional government of North Korea. The committee was established on 8 February 1946 in response for the need of the Soviet Civil Administration and the communists to have centraliz ...

in 1946. Even though formally referred as civilian administration, it was originally a military organization that included civilians of different professions. It was the administrative structure that the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

used to govern what would become the

Democratic People's Republic of 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 Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

(North Korea) following the

division of Korea The division of Korea began at the end of World War II on 2 September 1945, with the establishment of a Soviet occupation zone and a US occupation zone. These zones developed into separate governments, named the Democratic People's Republic of ...

. General Terentii Shtykov was the main proponent of setting up a centralized structure to coordinate Korean People's Committees. The setup was officially recommended by General Ivan Chistyakov and headed by General Andrei Romanenko in 1945 and by General Nikolai Lebedev in 1946.

Postwar period

In the postwar period between 1946 and 1949 the Soviet

Sakhalin Sakhalin ( rus, Сахали́н, p=səxɐˈlʲin) is an island in Northeast Asia. Its north coast lies off the southeastern coast of Khabarovsk Krai in Russia, while its southern tip lies north of the Japanese island of Hokkaido. An islan ...

administration, in anticipation of Japanese evacuation of Karafuto and the Kuril Islands, had allegedly established a relationship with the SCA in order to secure a cheap Korean workforce to be used on Sakhalin

fisheries Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a., fishing grounds). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farm ...

that were about to evacuate from the islands along with Japanese civilians. By 1950 the Korean workforce grew up to 10 thousand people on Sakhalin island alone. During the Soviet occupation, Soviet soldiers committed rape against both Japanese and Korean women alike. Soviet soldiers also looted the property of both Japanese and Koreans living in northern Korea. The Soviets claimed Japanese enterprises in northern Korea and took valuable materials and industrial equipment.

Administration

Under the Soviet Civil Administration from 1945 to 1948, North Korea was governed by a group of influential Soviet generals who played key roles in shaping the country's political landscape. Colonel General Ivan Mikhailovich Chistyakov, commanding officer of the 25th Army, played a critical role in deciding the location of the 25th Army headquarters, choosing

Pyongyang Pyongyang () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is sometimes labeled as the "Capital of the Revolution" (). Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. Accordi ...

as the capital of North Korea, a decision that continues to have a lasting impact to this day. Alongside him, Major General Nikolai Georgiyevich Lebedev, the political officer of the 25th Army, trained

Kim Il Sung Kim Il Sung (born Kim Song Ju; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he led as its first Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader from North Korea#Founding, its establishm ...

and coined the official name of

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 Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, emphasizing the purported rule by the people. However, the true architect of North Korea's early communist regime during this period was Colonel General Terentiy Fomich Shtykov, the political officer of the

1st Far Eastern Front The Far Eastern Front ( Russian: Дальневосточный фронт) was a front — a level of military formation that is equivalent to army group — of the Red Army during the Second World War. Early war service Тhe Far Eastern Front w ...

. De facto leader of North Korea from 1945 to 1948, Shtykov shaped the nation's politics, economy, and education system. He edited the initial draft of North Korea's constitution, formed the first cabinet of ministers, and actively supported Kim Il Sung's invasion plans, which led to the outbreak of the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. Despite being recalled to

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

and demoted after the military disaster, Shtykov's impact on North Korea's governance was immense. His role in starting the Korean War and overseeing the Soviet influence in North Korean affairs remains a significant aspect of understanding the country's history during this critical period. During the Soviet Civil Administration, Kim Il Sung, along with other North Korean politicians like Kim Tu Bong and Pak Hon Yong, followed the orders of Shtykov and the Soviet generals. The "

," though officially presenting itself as the ruling government, had no autonomy and merely executed the decisions made by the Soviet Civil Administration. The generals, including Shtykov, played a decisive role in shaping North Korea's early communist regime, with their actions and decisions significantly influencing the nation's political landscape for years to come.

Notes

References

Korea–Soviet Union relations 1945 in North Korea 1946 in North Korea Soviet military occupations Looting in Korea {{Korea-hist-stub

Postwar period

Administration

See also

Notes

References