------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Show Educational materials of Modern Korean History # 1 Liberation of Korea : Independence Movement and International Relations
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The late 19th century was a century in which strong military and economic powers colonized weaker nations and expanding their spheres of influence. Imperialism in the late 19th century International relations were the critical factors that would affect the fates of nations or peoples. Japan-Korea Treaty of 1876 / 1876 First Sino-Japanese War / 1894 Tripartite Intervention (1895) When Russia and Japan fought in the Russo-Japanese War for control over the Manchu and Korean Peninsula in 1904, Great Britain and the United States supported Japan. Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) Great Britain and Japan signed an alliance treaty in 1902, and the United States followed in 1905 with the Taft-Katsura Secret Agreement, providing support to Japan. The Anglo-Japanese Alliance (1902) The Taft-Katsura Secret Agreement (1905) Following its victory in the war, and with the connivance of the United States and France and the agreement of Russia, Japan annexed Korea in 1910. August 29, 1910 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Japan’s tyrannical rule during the 1910s fueled the ire of Koreans. As a result, independence movements sprouted not only within the peninsula, but all over the world. Forced ruling The Korean Military Corporation Conference of Korean expatriate representatives (April 14 - 16, 1914) At the end of 1910s Lenin, the mastermind behind the Russian Revolution, declared that nations deserved the right of self-determination, and US President Woodrow Wilson advocated the principle of self-determination, further stimulating Korean independence activities. Lenin (Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov) Principle of national self-determination Korean activists in the US decided to dispatch some representatives including Syngman Rhee to the Paris Peace Conference in December 1918, and the Shanghai-based New Korea Youth Party dispatched representative Kim Kyu-sik to the Paris Peace Conference in January 1919 to promote Korean independence, and 39 independence activists issued the Proclamation of Korean Independence in Manchuria. Kim Kyu-sik Independence march in Longjing, Manchuria (March 1919) Proclamation of the national assembly in Russia In Japan, Korean students studying there, who heard the news about the international affairs and various Korean independent activities, made a proclamation for independence on February 8, 1919 in Tokyo. Korean students in Tokyo who lead the February 8 Proclamation of Independence February 8 Proclamation of Independence Back in Korea, a nationalist movement to galvanize the entire nation took place. Christians, Catholics, Buddhists and students plotted to proclaim independence during the funeral of King Gojong, which was
guaranteed to gather many mourners. The March 1 Proclamation of Independence March First Movement (1919) Map of places where the March First Movement was witnessed As part of expanding independence activities in the aftermath of the March First Movement, government formation plans began to form within and outside Korea. Seoul - Hansung Provisional Government (April 1919) The first interim president of this government was Syngman Rhee, and Yi Dong-hwi was the first prime minister. Syngman Rhee The provisional government created a secret communication network, known as “Yeontongjae,“ published a daily newspaper titled
”The Independent” and took part in various diplomatic activities. First volume of the Provisional Government’s
bulletin “The Independence” A notice sent to Japanese King by Syngman Rhee, the President of the Republic of Korea Key figures of the Provisional Government of 1920 Meanwhile, following the March First Movement, within Korea, the Capacity-enhancing Movement took place to develop skills related to economy and culture. Knowledge is power. One must learn in order to live. As a result, there was a drive to promote Korean-made goods to combat the flood of Japanese goods in Korea. On the education front, there was a movement to create a Private Korean University and a literacy campaign to combat Japan’s second-rate education for its colonies. Promotion of Local Goods A poster promoting Korean-made goods Private Korean University Movement An anti-illiteracy movement poster These movements couldn’t give a direct blow to Japan’s hold on its colonies, but helped make Koreans more capable through education and industrialization. An article from the Dong-a Ilbo published on
September 27, 1925 There was a push to unify the people regardless of ideology and policy under a united national party. “We feel the vital and urgent need and declare the creation of the Korean Unitary Independence Party. In February 1927, nationalist organization Singanhoe was founded with the slogan “To promote national unity under a single party” and it had alliances with socialist and nationalist factions. Newly-founded Singanhoe based on nationalism announces doctrine Main highlights from Singanhoe’s doctrine Singanhoe conducted its activities through branches nationwide, and held lectures and speeches to inspire nationalism. It also supported freedom of the press, Equalization Movement by youth and women and movements to promote saving and thrift, becoming the best-known representative for the national interests. Naju section of Singanhoe Andong section of Singanhoe Seoul section of Singanhoe Society of the Friends of the Rose of Sharin opening ceremony Jinju section of Singanhoe However 44 core members, including Chough Pyung-ok, Lee Kwan-yong and Lee Won-hyuk were arrested while planning an people’s rally for supporting the Gwangju students’ resistance against Japan in 1929, shaking the organization. Main officers of Singanhoe Security Law forbids a national convention of Singanhoe Chough Pyung-ok Officers of Singanhoe arrested for their roles in the people’s rally With most of the leadership gone, socialists disbanded the organization for a class struggle led by workers and peasants in May 1931, 4 years after its formation. Measure to disband Singanhoe passed in Pyongyang A plenary session of Singanhoe’s main branch gathered to disband the group As the ideology of socialism spread throughout the 1920s, youth movements began to gather steam. On June 10, 1926, the funeral of King Sunjong, students following the funeral procession yelled cries for independence. Funeral of King Sunjong June 10 Independence March ...and that the Gwangju students’ resistance against Japan, the largest anti-Japanese protest since the March First Movement, had not only student protestors, but also labor unions, resulting in a more organized struggle. Seongjinhoe A manifesto written during the student-led independence movements in Gwangju The growing awareness of socialism prompted movements of tenant peasants for rights to live to spread nationwide, and labor movements to combat long-hours work and Japanese discrimination against Koreans also gathered in strength. Workers in the 1929 Wonsan general strike The peaceful March First Movement highlighted on the contrary the need for armed conflict, and numerous armed independence groups were formed in Manchuria.
Students of the Sinheung Military Academy Hong Bum-do / Commander of the Korea Independent Army Northern Military Administration Office Army established Battle of Bongoh (June 1920) That year in October, the Battle of Qingshanli took place. The Northern Military Administration Office Army led by General Kim Chwa-chin united with Hong Bum-do’s Korea Independent Army and the Korea National Association Army fought against Japanese forces deployed in Jiandao, Manchuria. The Korean fighters emerged victorious after six days of intense fighting. Battle of Qingshanli (October 1920) Kim Chwa-chin / Commander of the Northern Military Administration Office Army Kim Chwa-chin and the Northern Military Administration Office Army after the end of the Battle of Qingshanli Retreating Japanese forces after the end of the Battle of Qingshanli Independence activities flourishing within and outside Korean borders played an important role in arousing dormant anti-Japanese sentiments held by Korean people and helped lead to a unified front against Japanese occupation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ So far as the Western powers supported Japan until 1920s, Korea‘s independence was a very difficult task. Even the United States, which adopted a principle of self-determination of peoples during World War 1, did not support Korean independence. Principle of national self-determination When World War I broke out in 1914, Japan took part under the pretext of being an ally of Great Britain and became a victor. World War 1 With World War 1 breaking out in 1914, Japan participated in the
war as an ally of the Great Britain and became a victor of the war. German Empire To usher in a new world order of peace, the Paris Peace Conference opened. While Kim Kyu-sik was present as a representative of Korea, the United States and most of the West focused on issues relevant to them. Paris Peace Conference (January 1919 – January 1920) Kim Kyu-sik Independence documents submitted to the conference by Kim Kyu-sik Lee Seong-hwan, Professor of Japanese Studies Lee Hye-jeong, Professor of Political Science and International Relations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Throughout the 1930s, Japan annexed Manchuria, followed by parts of northern and central China. This triggered an end of alliances between Japan and the West, and it provided an avenue of support for Korean independence. Great Depression Japan, who triggered the Manchurian Incident in 1931, took over Manchuria and set up a puppet state called Manchuko. Manchurian Incident (September 1931) Japan also began the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, expanding invasion operations against the Chinese mainland. Japan started from northern China and moved towards southern China, grabbing territory along the way. Manchuria / Beijing / Nanjing / Korea / Japan / Taiwan Second Sino-Japanese War / July 7, 1937 Japanese Invasion went hand in hand with Germany’s victory in Europe. With Germany defeating France in June 1940 and expanding its borders, Germany, Italy and Japan became allies that September. Japan, Germany and Italy become the Axis Powers After that, Japan invaded
Southeast Asia, which was part of the British and French spheres of influence Burma / Thailand / Vietnam / Malay Peninsua / Hong Kong / Taiwan / Philippines Then tensions between the United States and Japan worsened. The United States established a steel and oil embargo against Japan, and called on Japan to withdraw from China and return to pre-war boundaries. Manchuria / Beijing / Nanking / Korea / Japan / Taiwan Hideki Tojo / Prime Minister of Japan Japan believed that by destroying the US Pacific Fleet based in Hawaii, Japan could conquer all of Southeast Asia, and the United States would be forced into new rounds of negotiation. Lee Hye-jeong, Professor of Political
Science and International Studies In the early hours of December 7, 1941, Japanese naval planes struck Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Hawaii without any previous declaration of war. Attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941) President Franklin Roosevelt called that day “a date which will live in infamy” and declared war on Japan following Congress’s approval. I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire. His declaration raised the curtains on the Pacific War and changed the dynamics of World War 2. The United States had been supporting the Allied war effort by lending weapons through the Lend-lease Act, but not directly engaging Germany and Japan in war. Lend-lease Act (March, 1941) Until the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States provided Allied nations with war materials under the Lend-Lease Policy, while not directly engaging with Japan and Germany. Great Britain declares war on Japan Allied Nations including the United States vs Axis Powers (Japan / Germany / Italy) Lee Seong-hwan, Professor of Japanese Studies After attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan invaded Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, Indonesia and New Guinea one after another. Burma / Thailand / Vietnam / Malay Peninsula / Singapore / East Indies / Hong Kong / Taiwan / Philippines / New Guinea By February 1942, Japan took over the British colonies of Malaysia, Burma and Singapore. By May, Japan had Manchuria and the coastal part of China up north, Southeast Asia and New Guinea in the south and the southern Pacific under its rule. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Independence activities continued amidst rising Japanese militarism throughout the 1930s. Lee Bong-chang’s written affidavit for the Korean Patriotic Legion Korean Patriotic Legion The Korean Patriotic Legion took part in armed resistance through events like independence activist Lee Bong-chang's assassination attempt of Japanese King Hirohito of January 1932 or Yoon Bong-gil's bombing of Japanese dignitaries in April that year. These activities provided a morale boost to independence activities. Scene of Lee Bong-chang’s assassination attempt of Japanese King Hirohito Yoon Bong-gil’s bombing / Hongkou Park, Shanghai Yoon Bong-gil Nationalist and socialist organizations active in mainland China, along with the Korean Independence Party and the Organization for the Independence of Joseon came together in 1935 in Manchuria to create the Korean National Revolutionary Party. Conservatives of the Provisional Government like Kim Koo did not take part, and some members of the new party left, but the formation signified efforts to unify independence movements. Cho So-ang / Korean Independence Party Yoon Se-joo / Organization for the Independence of Joseon Yoon Ki-sup / New Korean Independence Party Kim Kyu-sik / Korean Independence Party of
the Americas Choi Chang-ik / Socialist Korean national Revolutionary Party founded Amid the onset of the second Sino-Japanese War, the Korean National Revolutionary Party created the Korean Volunteers Army with the support of the Kuomintang and fought the Japanese. This was the first time Korean armed forces were based in China. Korean
Volunteers Army The volunteer army successfully engaged in psychological warfare against Japan and attached Japanese rear lines. Chiang Kai-shek In 1933, young socialists joined the Chinese Communist Party's Northeast People's Revolutionary Army. Leading figures of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army in the 1930s Members of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army Kim Il-sung’s forces in the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army in 1937 Police substation in Pochonbo Japanese government offices on fire as a result of battle Some 200 armed with machine guns retreat northward Kanto Special Forces are established to eliminate anti-Japanese fighters Kim Il-sung and his forces in 1940 In Korea, a movement for
Korean cultural preservation was in full swing to combat Japan's policies of Korean cultural annihilation. Pledge of the Imperial Subjects Members of the Research Society for the Korean Language A meeting of the Korean Language Society regarding the standardization of the Korean language Grand Dictionary of the Korean Language On the history front, efforts were made to illuminate Korean history in Korean’s perspective. Claims of Japanese officials confiscating and burning 200,000 Korean books Park Eun-shik Shin Chae-ho Lee Byung-do Chintan Hakpo
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ As Japan engaged in the Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific theater of World War 2, Korea’s independence movement began to expand into military and foreign diplomatic fields. Korean National Party / Korean Revolutionary Party / Korean Independence Party Kim Koo Creed for the foundation of Korea is proclaimed (November 1940) The Provisional Government of Korea established the Korean Liberation Army in September 1940 with three divisions. The Provisional Government of Korea establishes the Korean Liberation Army In May 1941, Kim Kyu-sik, leaders of the Korean National Revolutionary Party based in China and leaders of other socialist organizations joined the Provisional Government. Collaboration between leftist and rightist elements in independence activities within China The provisional government joined China, the United States and England on December 9, 1941 following Japan’s triggering of the Pacific War and declared war on Japan. Declaration of war against Japan by the Provisional Government (December 9, 1941) The Korean Liberation Army fought at the India-Burma front in 1943 by the request of England army, and allied with the United States Office of Strategic Services, created special forces to infiltrate Korea, and looked into advanced operations within Korea in 1945. The Korean Liberation Army takes part in the Burma Campaign (1943) Alliances formed with the Office of Strategic Services, special forces for infiltrating Korea are formed Korean expatriates established the United Korean Committee in Hawaii in April 1941 and the North American Diplomatic Commission as a diplomatic institution. Syngman Rhee was appointed to be in charge of it. United Korean Committee / (April 1941) Syngman Rhee Hong Seon-pyo, Senior researcher US-based Syngman Rhee conveyed news of Japanese losses and Korean independence activities through very high frequency broadcast station Voice of America for a number of weeks during June of 1942. A broadcast made by Syngman Rhee to Korean expatriates (June 1942) There are good signs of our independence, so let’s band together and overcome the Japanese enemy... Rhee mentioned Japan’s historically militaristic tendencies, and warned of a Japanese attack against the United States in his book “Japan Inside Out,” published in the summer of 1941 in New York. Japan Inside Out / by Syngman Rhee Japan’s “Divine Mission” and War Psychology Japan’s March of Conquest and its Repurcussions There were factions fighting against the Japanese Empire with the Soviet Union’s Communist Party and the Chinese Communist Party. The socialist-leaning Korean Independence Alliance was founded in 1942 in northern China. The group’s military wing, the Korean Volunteer Army, allied with the Chinese Communist Party’s Eighth Route Army and fought against the Japanese. Korean Independence Alliance founded (1942) Korean Volunteer Army In Korea, activist Lyuh Woon-hyung organized an underground organization the Korean Restoration Brotherhood in August 1944 in anticipation of Japan’s defeat and Korea’s independence. Lyuh Woon-hyung Korean Restoration Brotherhood (August 1944)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ With the US counterattack the decline of Japan was inevitable. New Guinea In February 1943, US troops won a hard fought campaign lasting six months in the southernmost island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Battle of Guadacanal / August 7, 1942 - February 9, 1943 Following its victory, the United States counterattacked Japan, landing in and won Saipan, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and other Pacific islands. Midway / Marshall Islands / Gilbert Island / Iwo Jima / Saipan In order to end the war against Japan, the United States needed the participation of the Soviet Union against Japan. Nanking / Beijing / Manchuria / Korea / Japan The Soviet Union would have pushed southward through Manchuria and the Korean Peninsula and the United States in the meantime would have fought northward from the South Pacific Ocean. Franklin Roosevelt This was coded into the Cairo
Declaration. Cairo Conference (November 22~27, 1943) The meeting, which lasted for six days, resulted in the Cairo Declaration on December 1, 1943. Cairo Declaration issued (December 1, 1943) The declaration explicitly mentioned the independence of Korea. “The aforesaid three great powers, mindful of the enslavement of the people of Korea, are determined that in due course Korea shall become free and independent.” The aforesaid three great powers, mindful of the enslavement of the people of Korea, are determined that in due course Korea shall become free and independent. Lee Hye-jeong, Professor of Political Science and International Relations Of course,
Korean independence activists in the Provisional Government of Korea played some important roles in writing explicitly the independence of Korea into Cairo Declaration. Premier Jiang Jieshi of China mentioned the free independence of Korea in the conference, with the intention of restoring China’s traditional influence over Korea. But Jiang also was affected by the repeated appeals for international support of independence of Korea from Kim Koo and his colleagues in the Provisional Government of
Korea. Joseph Stalin / Leader of the Soviet Union Tehran Conference
(November 28 – December 1, 1943) Following the occupation of Saipan in June 1944, the United States liberated the Philippines from Japan in February 1945. June 1944 February 1945 Roughly one month later, the United States took over Iwo Jima, an island about 1,000km away from Tokyo and located in the middle between Saipan and Tokyo. Japan / Tokyo / Iwo Jima Battle of Iwo Jima Amidst the looming Japanese defeat, the heads of the United States, Great Britain and the Soviet Union met in the resort city of Yalta in the southern Crimean peninsula near the Black Sea in February 1945. Yalta Conference (February 4 – February 11, 1945) In this conference Soviet operations against Japan in the Far East were also discussed. Kim Yong-ung, Director of Far Eastern Studies The United States and Great Britain agreed on granting the Kuril Islands to the Soviet Union following its victory against Japan. Discussions
about the Far East issue during the Yalta Conference (February 1945) Franklin Roosevelt / U.S. President Joseph Stalin / Leader of the Soviet Union ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ With the sudden death of US President Franklin Roosevelt due to a stroke in April 1945, Vice President Harry Truman took over the presidency. April 12,
1945 Vice-president Harry Truman becomes President However, Truman was not aware of what his predecessor and Stalin discussed on. Moreover, unlike Roosevelt, who kept to the agreements made with Stalin, Truman worked towards keeping the Soviet Union in check. In the Potsdam conference for the issue of Japan’s surrender Truman evaded discussing about what the Soviet Union would get after the Soviet Union’s operations against
Japan. Potsdam Conference (July 17 - August 2, 1945) To ensure an unconditional surrender, the United States dropped an atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. August 6, 1945 Lee Hye-jeong, Professor of Political Science and International Relations The Soviet Union, which had dragged its feet over fighting Japan, immediately declared war on Japan on August 8, following the drop of the atomic bomb, and began its push into Manchuria and the Korean Peninsula. August 8. 1945 Manchuria / Korea / Japan / Beijing / Nanking As the Soviet war machine picked up steam and the United States dropped another atomic bomb in Nagasaki, Japan finally notified its intention to surrender on August 11. August 9. 1945 August
11. 1945 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Japan’s notification of intention to surrender pressed the United States’ stance, as US troops were farther from Manchuria and the Korean Peninsula than the Soviet Union troops. Korea / Japan / Manchuria / Beijing / Nanking / Okinawa / Taiwan In response, the United States decided to establish a military demarcation line along which Korean Peninsula would be divided and occupied by the US army and the USSR Army. Former chair-professor of the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The streets of Seoul were oddly quiet on the morning of August 15, 1945. Seoul Every Korean was fixated on the radio. Park Seong-su, Professor Emeritus (born in 1931) On the afternoon of the next day, political prisoners jailed in Seodaemun Prison were freed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Once the demarcated occupation along the 38th parallel was decided, the Soviet Union moved quickly. August 24, 1945 They deployed guard troops along the demarcation line, cut railway and communication lines and restricted movement of residents, establishing a blockade. The Soviet Union did all this unilaterally even prior to the United States occupying the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The Soviet Union dispatches security forces
along the 38th parallel The belated American soldiers called on the Soviet Union to lift the blockade and made three requests for negotiations for a unified administration of Korea, but the Soviet Union refused all requests. September 8, 1945 Yang Dong-an, Professor Emeritus ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ An event that had significant influence on the future of the Korean Peninsula took place. Event Reenactment The foreign ministers of the five Allied powers of the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, China and France met in London in September 1945 to discuss post-war efforts. London Conference of Foreign Ministers The
United States and Great Britain were against the Soviet Union establishing Communist governments in Eastern Europe. As for the Soviet Union, it did not agree with the occupation of the Mediterranean Sea and Japan by the United States and Great Britain. Japan / Korea / Manchuria Soviet demands A substantial split between the United States and the Soviet Union appeared during this conference, and Stalin pushed for the Communization of East Asia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Firstly, amidst the London meeting, Stalin issued secret orders to the Soviet troops stationed in the Far East. Establish a bourgeois government based on anti-Japanese factions Secondly, Stalin ordered the Chinese Communist Party to resume the Chinese Civil War. Andrei Lankov, Professor of Korean Studies In December 1945, Soviet Colonel-General Iosif Shikin, who was in charge of North Korea’s political policies, was ordered to implement bourgeois reform like land reform, establish political policies in the benefit of the Soviet Union, and a centralized ruling system. Implement land reform and other bourgeois reform ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ These series of events meant that a separate regime was being established in North Korea. For the sake of it the Soviet Union pulled Kim Il-sung into North Korea in September and established the North Korea Bureau of the Communist Party of Korea in Pyongyang in October. The Soviet Union wanted to lead communists in North Korea without going through the Communist Party of Korea in Seoul. The Soviet Union tried to established a separate communist party in Pyongyang, but due to the communist principle of the one-party system it could make a communist party in North Korea in form of a branch bureau of the Communist Party of Korea in Seoul. The branch bureau was independent of the Seoul-based Communist Party of Korea led by Park Heon-young. Kim Il-sung comes to North Korea North Korea Bureau of the Communist Party of Korea established Park Heon-young, leader of the Communist Party of Korea In December 1945, the bureau changed its name to the Communist Party of North Korea, and Kim Il-sung was named chairman. It made clear that the communist party organization in North Korea was completely independent from the communist party in Seoul and Kim Il-sung was chosen by the Soviet Union. North Korea Bureau of the Communist Party of Korea decides to change name to Communist Party of North Korea Kim Il-sung appointed as chairman In February 1946, the Soviet Union and the Communist Party of North Korea established the Provisional People’s Committee for North Korea and appointed Kim Il-sung as chairman. It was, for all intents and purposes, a single government responsible for creating and implementing laws. North Korean Provisional People’s Committee established Kim Il-sung appointed as chairman The committee’s first task was land reform, meant to completely change North Korean land division and society. North Korean land reform / implemented in March 1946 In March 1946, the North Korean government unilaterally confiscated land from landowners and divided and distributed the land freely among farmers. The land reform ended within 20 days, and landowners were deported. The 90,000-strong Farmland Committee, which was responsible for the
reform, registered for the Communist Party and became an important pillar for North Korean socialism. North Korea’s social reform Ahn Chan-il, Expert
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ However, in contrast to North Korea’s rapid transformation towards socialism, South Korea still lacked direction. How will this crisis be overcome? Korea once again needs courage and wisdom. North Korea goes on its own path after liberation Why was Korea occupied by the US and USSR after World War II?The United States supported the South, the Soviet Union supported the North, and each government claimed sovereignty over the whole Korean peninsula. In 1950, after years of mutual hostilities, North Korea invaded South Korea in an attempt to re-unify the peninsula under its communist rule.
Who occupied South Korea after ww2?Why did the Korean War start? After defeating Japan in World War II, Soviet forces occupied the Korean Peninsula north of the 38th parallel and U.S. forces occupied the south.
Was North Korea occupied by the US after ww2?After the end of World War II, the United States Army entered the southern part of the Korean peninsula, demobilizing the Japanese imperial army and sending Japanese soldiers, officials, and settlers back to Japan. The Red Army occupied northern Korea and completed a similar task.
How was the Soviet Union and United States involved in the Korean War?After Japan's defeat, the victorious Allies split the peninsula on the 38th parallel. U.S. troops occupied the southern part, while Soviet troops occupied the northern part. The two Koreas engaged in border conflict, which escalated when North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25.
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