March First Independence Movement
The March First Independence Movement (Samil undong) was a Korean popular movement against Japanese colonization that resulted in a Korean declaration of independence from Japan and the fostering of Korean national liberation movements worldwide.
In 1919, Korean nationalists both in Korea and living abroad were inspired by President Woodrow Wilson's concept of national self-determination for all peoples, hoping that Korea could regain its independence from Japan, which had annexed it in 1910. As a result, nationalist Korean intellectuals planned an appeal for independence from Japan to coincide with the World War I peace negotiations at Versailles. The death of Korea's former Emperor Kojong (reigned 1864–1907) in early 1919, and his planned public funeral for March of that year, gave the opportunity for Korean nationalist leaders to express their call for independence. In March, thousands of Koreans gathered, no doubt angered by rumors of the emperor's poisoning at the hands of the Japanese. Demonstrations were also planned in regional cities.
On 1 March 1919, Korean intellectuals presented to the Japanese governor-general in Seoul a "Declaration for Korean Independence" signed by Korean religious, political, and intellectual leaders. The declaration was proclaimed publicly the same day. The independence movement that erupted in Seoul on March 1 soon spread throughout the country in the form of spontaneous demonstrations for national independence. Among the demonstrators were farmers and craftsmen, Christians and Buddhists, housewives and school children, as well as intellectual and political leaders. The Japanese authorities were caught completely off guard by the movement's scale and spontaneity and their first reaction was one of brutal repression. Throughout the year conflicts between Koreans and Japanese resulted in thousands of deaths before the Japanese authorities were able to regain control.
The movement ultimately failed to free Korea of Japanese rule. The symbolic Declaration of Independence and national show of solidarity, however, provided the needed impetus for the Korean nationalist movement, which had languished since the time of annexation. Nationalist organizations began to appear both in Korea and among Koreans overseas. The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was established in Shanghai in April 1919, and became a focal point for subsequent independence efforts. Japanese policy in Korea also changed, as the authorities relinquished their initial heavy-handedness. Greater freedom of the press and organization was allowed, which aided the development of nationalist writings in Korea. After the suppression of the movement, however, the incentive towards Korean national independence moved overseas.
Further Reading
Ch'on, Kwan-u. (1971) "The Samil Revolt Considered as a Mass Movement." Korea Journal 11, 3: 9–14.
Eckert, Carter J., et al. (1990) Korea Old and New: A History. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Ko, Seung Kyun. (1972) "The March First Movement: A Study of the Rise of Korean Nationalism under Japanese Colonialism." Koreana Quarterly 14, 1–2 (Spring– Summer): 14–33.
Lee, Chong-sik. (1963) The Politics of Korean Nationalism. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Pak, Ch'an-Sung. (1990) "Current Issues in the Study of the March First Movement." Seoul Journal of Korean Studies 2: 133–146.
Shin, Yong-ha. (1987) Formation and Development of Modern Korean Nationalism. Seoul, South Korea: Dae Kwang Munhwasa.
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