March 1st Movement - Events in Korea

Events in Korea

At 2 P.M. on 1 March 1919, the 33 nationalists who formed the core of the Samil Movement convened at Taehwagwan Restaurant in Seoul, and read the Korean Declaration of Independence that had been drawn up by the historian Choe Nam-seon. The nationalists initially planned to assemble at Tapgol Park in downtown Seoul, but they chose a more private location out of fear that the gathering might turn into a riot. The leaders of the movement signed the document and sent a copy to the Governor General, with their compliments.

The movement leaders then telephoned the central police station to inform them of their actions and were arrested afterwards.

Before the formal declaration, Korea also aired the following complaints to be heard by the Japanese people through papers and media:

• The belief that the government would discriminate when employing Koreans versus Japanese people; they claimed that no Koreans held important positions in the government.
• The existence of a disparity in education being offered to Korean and Japanese people.
• The Japanese despised and mistreated Koreans in general.
• Political officials, both Korean and Japanese, were arrogant.
• There was no special treatment for the upper class or scholars.
• The administrative processes were too complicated and laws were being made too frequently for the general public to follow.
• There was too much forced labor that was not desired by the public.
• Taxes were too heavy and the Korean people were paying more than before, while getting the same amount of services.
• Land continued to be confiscated by the Japanese people for personal reasons.
• Korean village teachers were being forced out of their jobs because the Japanese people were trying to suppress their heritage and teachings.
• The development of Korea had been for the benefit for the Japanese. They argued that while Koreans were working towards development, they did not reap the benefit of their own work.

These grievances were highly influenced by ‘‘‘Wilson’s Declaration of the Principle of Self Determination’’’.

Despite the nationalists' concerns, massive crowds assembled in Pagoda Park to hear a student, Chung Jae-yong, read the declaration publicly. Afterwards, the gathering formed into a procession, which the Japanese military police attempted to suppress. Special delegates associated with the movement also read copies of the independence proclamation from appointed places throughout the country at 2 PM on that same day.

Protests continued to spread and, as the Japanese local and military police could not contain the crowds, the army and even the navy were also called in. There were several reports of atrocities. In one notable instance, Japanese police herded the inhabitants of the village of Jeam-ri into a locked church before burning it to the ground, even shooting through the burning windows to ensure that no one made it out alive.

Approximately 2,000,000 Koreans had participated in the more than 1,500 demonstrations, many who were massacred by the Japanese police force and army. The frequently cited The Bloody History of the Korean Independence Movement (Hangul: 한국독립운동지혈사; Hanja: 韓國獨立運動之血史) by Park Eunsik claims 7,509 people were killed, 15,849 wounded, and 46,303 arrested. From March 1 to April 11, Japanese officials reported that 553 people were killed with over 12,000 arrested, while 8 policemen and military policemen were killed and 158 were wounded. Many of those arrested were taken to the infamous Seodaemun Prison in Seoul where they were imprisoned without trial and tortured. Several hundred people were murdered in extrajudicial killings in the "death house" at the rear of the site.

In 1920, the Battle of Chingshanli broke out in Manchuria between exiled Korean independence fighters and the Japanese Army.