Independence Movement Day

Happy Independence Movement Day! I had the day off of school (I had my first day of class yesterday, and now we get a day off...I'm liking this semester!) so I had some time to finish unpacking and played some games with my suitemates. We played some UNO while eating Kimchi Pizza. Kimchi Pizza isn't a pizza, but fried chicken covered in cheese, pizza sauce, and kimchi. It sounds like a really disgusting combination, but it is SO GOOD! It is a college favorite to order for delivery here in Korea.

So, I was curious to learn more about this holiday here in Korea. It is one of the National Public Holidays here, similar to our Memorial Day or Independence Day. This holiday, also called the March 1st Movement, commemorates the protests against the Japanese Occupation in 1919.

In 1910, Korea was annexed to Japan. For 35 years, Korea lived under the brutal rule of Japan. Over this time, Japan destroyed evidence of Korea's history, forbid Koreans to speak their language, and in many ways made the Korean people second class citizens. The occupation has been described as a "Cultural Genocide." Monuments were altered to become pro-Japanese. Historic poems were rewritten to laud praise on Japanese royalty rather than the Korean kings. Korean people were pressured to surrender their Korean names for Japanese names, which would make them more acceptable in Japanese society. Children were indoctrinated in Japanese propaganda, and were forbidden to learn of their Korean heritage.

During WWII, the Korean people were mistreated and used to fuel the Japanese war machine. Some Korean men were drafted to fight in the Japanese army, fighting for a cause they abhorred. Some of these men were forced to become Kamikaze fighters, flying suicide missions for the country they hated.

Some Korean women were taken from their homes to be "comfort women" for the Japanese soldiers. They were raped daily by multiple men in these military brothels. It is estimated that there were over 100,000 Korean women at the end of WWII in these comfort women brothels. This aspect of the Japanese occupation makes me extremely angry. These women were from poor areas of Korea, and were either kidnapped or fooled into believing they were joining factory work. It was government sponsored sex slavery where women could be treated in the most disgusting ways and could not protest their mistreatment. There is evidence that after the war, Japan intentionally destroyed official record of the government initiation of the Comfort Women. To this day, Japan has never formally apologized to the abused women. Some of these women are still alive, telling their stories with courage, and waiting for an apology from the Japanese government.

Many Korean people were taken from their homeland to Japan to work in the military factories. They were forced to work long hours, and did not receive much pay. It is estimated that almost half a million Koreans were working in these factories in Japan. It is also estimated that about 70,000 Koreans were victims of the atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan has given some money to the Korean government as compensation, but has never apologized to the families of these victims for taking them to work in Japan against their will.

The Occupation was a terrible time for Korea. There was an underground movement throughout the occupation to retake their country. There were also many times during the occupation where people would rise up in protest of this illegal occupation. The most famous movement was the March 1st Movement.

On March 1st 1919, a group of 33 nationalists wrote a declaration of Korean independence from Japan. It contained a list of complaints against the Japanese government and a statement of independence.

Here is an excerpt from the statement:

"We herewith proclaim the independence of Korea and the liberty of the Korean people. We tell it to the world in witness of the equality of all nations and we pass it on to our posterity as their inherent right."

"We make this proclamation, having 5,000 years of history, and 20,000,000 united loyal people. We take this step to insure to our children for all time to come, personal liberty in accord with the awakening consciousness of this new era. This is the clear leading of God, the moving principle of the present age, the whole human race's just claim. It is something that cannot be stamped out, stifled, gagged, or suppressed by any means."

It was read in Pagoda Park in Seoul to a large crowd. All across Korea, about 1,500 protests by over 2,000,000 Koreans occurred on this day. The Japanese government suppressed the protests with Japanese brutality. 7,500 people were killed, 16,000 were wounded, and 50,000 were arrested over the course of two weeks following the initial protest. One of the most brutal suppression of these protests occurred in Hwaseong, where Japanese police herded the protesters into a church, locked it, and burned it to the ground.

The movement served as the motivation for the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai in April 1919. This would later become the place where the South Korean government would be established. It wouldn't be until August 15th of 1945, the day that Japan surrendered to Allied Forces, that Korea would be free. August 15th Korean Independence Day. It's interesting how perspective can change the view of an event. For Koreans, August 15th is one of the greatest days in their history: the day they were free from the only time in their history they were occupied. For Japan, August 15th is one of the darkest days in their history: the only time in their history that they had to surrender in a war.

Many brave Koreans gave their lives on this day, 92 year ago, for their belief in a free Korea. They believed in restoring their country and cultural identity independent from foreign influence. It is a long process to undo all the damage that was done during those 35 years, but someday their dream will be a reality.