This week we discussed about the Korean history during Japanese colonial. In 1910, Korea was annexed by the Empire of Japan after years of war, intimidation and political machinations; the country would be considered a part of Japan until 1945. In order to establish control over its new protectorate, the Empire of Japan waged an all-out war on Korean culture. Schools and universities forbade speaking Korean and emphasized manual labor and loyalty to the Emperor. It also became a crime to teach history from non-approved texts and authorities burned over 200,000 Korean historical documents, essentially wiping out the historical memory of Korea.
Korean people weren’t the only thing that were plundered during Japanese colonization. One of the most powerful symbols of Korean sovereignty and independence was its royal palace, Gyeongbokgung, which was built in Seoul in 1395. Soon after assuming power, the Japanese colonial government pushed down over a third of the complex’s historic buildings, and the remaining structures were turned into tourist attractions for Japanese visitors.
Though Japan occupied Korea for an entire generation, the Korean people didn’t submit passively to Japanese rule. Throughout the occupation, protest movements pushed for Korean independence. In 1919, the March First Movement proclaimed Korean independence and more than 1,500 demonstrations broke out. The March 1st Movement provided a catalyst for the Korean Independence Movement. Given the ensuing suppression and hunting down of activists by the Japanese, many Korean leaders went into exile in Manchuria, Shanghai and other parts of China, where they continued their activities. Later then, March 1st became the Independence Movement Day, also known as 삼일절 (Samiljeol).
The Japanese surrendered to the Allies in 1945, which ended World War II, led to a time of great confusion in Korea. The country was divided into zones of occupation by the victorious Americans and Soviets. The Soviets and Americans failed to reach an agreement on a unified Korean government, and in 1948 two separate governments were established, each claiming to be the legitimate government of all Korea: the Republic of Korea in Seoul, in the American zone, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in Pyongyang, in the Soviet zone. In 1950, North Korean forces invaded the South. The Korean War drew in the Americans in support of South Korea and the Chinese in support of the North. In 1953, after three years of fighting in which some three million Koreans, one million Chinese, and 54,000 Americans were killed, the Korean War ended in a truce with Korea still divided into two mutually antagonistic states.
By knowing the history of Korea help us gain more insight into a fascinating society and country with the long and rich history.
Comments
In one the class, we learned a poem that related to this section of the history. Through the poem, I learned a lot about the poet's feeling towards Japan at that time. I didn't previously know a lot about this part of korean history. Thank you for sharing this! I think this part of history has a huge influence on the korean-japan relations now. History will always remain there.
Great post! I took learned some Japanese history about its colonization when I learned Japanese art history, but I didn't know that the Japanese government's attitude about Korean culture before. I am curious to do some extra research about how such an attitude influenced the artworks.
Thanks for an interesting post! I really liked how you have a brief overview of modern Korean history. I never knew that the Japanese government censored so much of Korean culture to that extent. I think I understand better as to why the two nations are still on poor terms with each other.
Very interesting read Hanchen! This is something that I have always been curious about especially when I see it in Korean dramas, it always confused me but now I have gained knowledge and insight about this important part of Korean history. I didn't realize that the Japanese had taken over Korea for some time and was so strictly ruling over it.