The US-Korea Relations: 1910-1945 Japan’s Rise

❖ With defeat of Russia in 1904, Japan became a recognized power ❖ That same year Japan met with U.S. and signed the Taft-Katsura Agreement ❖ Japan agreed to accept the US presence in Hawaii and the Philippines, and in exchange, the United States agreed to nullify the Chemulpo Treaty and to give Japan a free hand in Korea. Japan in Korea

❖ From 1910 forward, the Japanese adopted a strategy of using the Korean Peninsula as a gateway to the Asian continent and making Korea's economy subordinate to the needs of Japanese capitalism

Korea (dark red) within the Empire of Japan (light red) at its furthest extent. The US-Korea Relations: 1910-1945

❖ 1918 -Woodrow Wilsons 14 Points and the right to self- determination ❖ Although the Wilson Doctrine did not apply to the Asian colonies, Korean nationalists were profoundly encouraged by the American president's lofty idealism. The US-Korea Relations: 1910-1945

❖ Kim Gyu-sik, a graduate of Roanoke College, VA, went to Paris to make a direct appeal to Wilson at the Paris Peace Conference for Korea's independence. ❖ His appeal was in vain, as was Ho Chi Minh's appeal for Vietnam's independence from France. Samil Movement

❖ Nearly 2 million students and “Today marks the declaration Christians led the Samil Anti- of Korean independence. Japanese March on March 1, There will be peaceful 1919 - demonstrations all over ❖ were brutally crushed by Korea. If our meetings are orderly and peaceful, we shall occupation forces receive the help of President ❖ Teachers and civic leaders read Wilson and the great powers a Declaration of Independence, at Versailles, and Korea will patterned after the American be a free nation.” version, in tens of thousands of villages throughout Korea: Watch

The Righteous Army

After going to Wonju and then to a place called Yan-gun, McKenzie finally found members of the “Righteous Army.” On his way home, while passing through a valley, he was surrounded by other members of the righteous army who, due to his western clothes, mistook him for a Japanese, and was told:

"It was fortunate that you shouted when you did. I had you nicely covered and was just going to shoot." Some of the soldiers in this band were not more than fourteen to sixteen years old. I made them stand and have their photographs taken. See more Here. Korean Provisional Government

❖ The Korean Provisional Government (KPG) was established on April 8, 1919, in the French Concession of Shanghai.

❖ Rhee Syngman, in absentia, was elected premier, Yi Dong Whi, defense minister, later, premier, and Kim Kyu Sik, foreign minister. ❖ The KPG had its own parliament, press, and a military school in Shanghai. ❖ The original founders of KPG represented a broad spectrum of the Korean political ideologies united in the common cause of Korean independence. Read more about Rhee Syngman Here. U.S. and Koreans Against Japan

❖ Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941. ❖ Of the 6,000 Koreans in America 100 of them joined the U.S. Army - Many as linguists and intelligence officers.

❖ Read more here about Koreans in America current trends - will cover more later Kim Gu and the U.S.

❖ On Sept. 17, 1940, Kim Gu formed the Korean Independence Army (Kwang- bok Army). Ji Chung Chun was appointed the Supreme Commander and Lee Bom Suk the Chief of Staff. ❖ Chinese dignitaries from Mao and Chiang groups – including Chou En Lai – attended the army foundation ceremony.

❖ In 1941, Kim Gu declared war on Japan. ❖ In 1942, he formally asked China, the US and Britain to recognize his government. Only China did so. ❖ The United States refused to recognize Kim Gu's government in China. Kim Gu and the U.S.

❖ In 1944, the US military began to recruit Koreans in China for possible Confrontation with Japan in China ❖ On August 7, 1945, Gen. Donavan, the head of the US Office of Special Services (OSS), met Kim Gu at Shenyang, China, and agreed to send a US OSS team to work with his army. ❖ U.S. sought to use them as spies and Saboteurs ❖ Kim Gu saw the advantages of military aid for regaining control of Korea

❖ Japan surrendered September 2nd 1945 Read More about Kim Gu here. Kim Gu and the U.S.

❖ No sooner Japan surrendered, than the OSS detachment assigned to Kim Gu left China. ❖ The US broke relations with Kim Gu and was against his return to Korea ❖ He returned to Korea upon the Japanese surrender 1945 - but only as a private citizen ❖ He was known as "the Assassin" and reportedly travelled with an entourage of gunmen and concubines. ❖ In December 27 1945, the heads of state of the USA, the UK, the USSR, and China agreed to a trusteeship for newly liberated

Korea. Kim was opposed trusteeship. The Kim Gu's Korean Independence Army 2nd Brigade 1947 creation of The Joint Soviet-American officers with US OSS instructors in 1945. The man in the middle front row is Lee Bom Suk. Gen. Ji Chung Chun, a Commission was also opposed by Kim. graduate of the Japanese Military Academy, commanded the Army. Kim Gu and the U.S.

❖ Kim led a team of former independence activists Pyongyang to hold unification talks with Kim Il-sung ❖ Talks deteriorated rapidly partially due to Kim’s hostility toward communism ❖ In 1948, the inaugural National Assembly of South Korea nominated Kim as a candidate for the office of the first president of the Republic. ❖ In the election by the National Assembly, Kim was defeated by Rhee Syngman the first president of the provisional government. Kim Gu and the U.S.

❖ He lost the election for the vice presidency to Lee Si-yeong by a vote of 133-59. ❖ Kim did not know about his nomination until after the election. He did not approve the nomination, considering it a ploy to discredit him. ❖ On June 26, 1949, Kim was assassinated by Lieutenant Ahn Doo-hee ❖ In 2001, declassified documents revealed that Ahn had been working for the U.S. Counter-Intelligence Corps, leading to suggestions of US involvement in the assassination. ❖ However, some have questioned the evidence for these accusations. Lee Bom Suk

❖ Lee Bom Suk and his followers also returned to Korea - also as a private citizens ❖ Gen. Lee had served as Prime Minister of Rhee Syngman's government but he had falling out with Rhee and quit the post

❖ There were dozens of private armies in Korea in 1945-46. Many of the nationalist leaders returned with their private armies from China and vied amongst themselves for funds and recruits. ❖ In 1946, the US military banned all private armies in Korea and established a Korean regular army.

Read more about Lee Bom Suk here. Kim Gu Legacy

❖ Kim is regarded as one of the greatest figures in Korean history. ❖ He was voted in a 2004 online poll as the greatest leader after the restoration of Korean independence and in 2005 as the most revered figure by Korean National Assemblymen. ❖ In 2007 national surveys, Kim received the most vote as the Korean historic figure whose portrait should be featured in new Korean banknotes to be issued in 2009. ❖ On November 5, 2007, the Bank of Korea, the national central bank of the Republic of Korea, announced the new 100,000 Korean won bill would feature Kim's portrait Watch Watch: Korean Independence Documentary

“That Day” - Part 1 Watch all here To be Continued…