EAS271H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: March 1St Movement, Korean Nationalism, Korean Diaspora
Resistance & Collaboration (Lec 4)
Group Discussion Quote
- Assumption by both Sin and Chu that there is a pure Korean language, history, spirit etc. but the Korea
people didn’t yet know/appreciate its existence
- Schmid: Koreanness is a project of modernity (ie. it’s a modern construct)
- ** Most histories are NATIONAL histories **
Resistance
Annexation
Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) → important regional war
- Treaty of Portsmouth → mediated by the US & Theodore Roosevelt
- Lead asians (not just Japanese) to question Western superiority; allowed Japan to
arise as an Imperial power EQUAL to the West
1905 Protectorate & 1910 Annexation
- Komatsu Midori (1912): the annexation of Korea is really the reunification of two
sections of “one and the same nation after a long period of separation”; the Korean
and Japanese people are not two different races but the same people with a shared
history
- Also talks about Japan’s plans to develop Korea (industry, commerce,
agriculture)
- ** example of Japan’s increasing production of knowledge of Korean history
(began in the late 1800s) **
March 1st
Movement &
Declaration of
Independence
Mass scale, non-violent Movement; March 1st was the BEGINNING date (ie. was not the
only day)
- The scale of the Movement peaked in April and continued until the end of May
- Mobilized 1-2 million people
Japanese Reaction: surprised; responded with violence (massacres, arrests and burning of
villages); was brutally put out (even brought additional troops from Japan)
- Korean Nationalist Estimates: 7500 deaths, 15,000 injured and 45,000 arrests
(March-December)
Impact
- Was unsuccessful → colonialism continued (ie. no Independence), no Western
power responded
- Successful → mass mobilization of Koreans, rise of anti-Japanese sentiments,
establishment of KPG
Yu Kwansun (1902-1920)
Declaration of Independence
- Written by Choe Nam-seon (studied at Waseda University)
- The role of the modern print was important in this mass movement
Quest for
Statehood -
Beyond Korea
** Richard Kim **
- Korea’s anti-colonial movement after the March 1st Movement was primarily carried
out OUTSIDE of Korea; Japan continued to suppress these nationalist liberation
struggles not just in Korea but outside as well (eg. China)
- Kim primarily talks about the Korean diaspora (specifically American influence) and
their quest for statehood
- “The founding of the KPG coincided with the growing economic and military
power of the US globally”
- ** these activities are important because they had ENORMOUS influence on
the politics of Korea after liberation in 1945 **
- “Many missionaries witnessed the savage beatings, torture … Korean Chrsitians …”
Document Summary
Assumption by both sin and chu that there is a pure korean language, history, spirit etc. but the korea people didn"t yet know/appreciate its existence. Schmid: koreanness is a project of modernity (ie. it"s a modern construct) Treaty of portsmouth mediated by the us & theodore roosevelt. Lead asians (not just japanese) to question western superiority; allowed japan to arise as an imperial power equal to the west. Also talks about japan"s plans to develop korea (industry, commerce, agriculture) ** example of japan"s increasing production of knowledge of korean history (began in the late 1800s) ** Mass scale, non-violent movement; march 1st was the beginning date (ie. was not the only day) The scale of the movement peaked in april and continued until the end of may. Japanese reaction: surprised; responded with violence (massacres, arrests and burning of villages); was brutally put out (even brought additional troops from japan) Korean nationalist estimates: 7500 deaths, 15,000 injured and 45,000 arrests (march-december)
