IB HL History – China & Korea (Korea Segment)
What I need to know:
- Impact of Japanese rule of Korea: social, political and economic efects of annexation (1910); impact of the Sino-Japanese War on
Korea: Japanese use of forced labour, conscription and comfort women; division of Korea at 38 th parallel (1945); Syngman Rhee; Kim
Il-Sung
Impact of Japanese Rule on Korea (Socio-Economic-Political Impact): (1910-1937)
Impacts Positive impacts Negative impacts
Social Korea: Korea:
1) Sparked of modern Korean nationalism - Korean culture was on the verge of being
- Explicit attempts to annihilate Korean national annihilated as a result of Japanese imperialism.
consciousness had the adverse efect – it - The Japanese sought to assimilate Korean and
emboldened the Koreans to preserve its culture Japanese culture, and to remove Korean’s national
and to gain back its country. identity through education and censorship.
- As time passed, Koreans’ resentment against
the Japanese only grew. It was inspired anew 1) Education
by Wilson’s 14 Points, and the idea of “self- - The Education Act (1911) was designed to secure
determination.” manpower for the colonial administration in Korea,
- March 1st Movement: a nationwide resistance and aimed to extinguish Korean national
movement to Japanese occupation. consciousness.
- Events: - Under this act:
- Korean Youth Independence Corps was - 200,000-300,000 Korean works were confscated
organised by Korean students in Japan. 600 and burned.
students attended a meeting where they - The biographies of Korean national heroes of
passed a declaration written by Yi Kwang-su earlier centuries (e.g. Ulchi Mun-dok/Kang Kam-
calling for immediate independence. The group chan) were vandalised.
then sent members to Korea to agitate for - Korean translations of foreign books treating
independence there. independence, the birth of the nation, and
- However, the real catalyst was the death of the revolution such as the biographies of German Otto
last Choson king – Kojong’s death. Rumours von Bismarck and the Russian Peter the Great,
that the Japanese poisoned him or forced him were also vandalised.
to commit suicide added to unrest. - Ancient texts describing the Japanese as inferior
- Prior to the day of his funeral, representatives and uncivilised were destroyed.
of resistance groups issued a declaration of - These were all done to destroy the Korean national
independence in Pagoda Park in Seoul on consciousness and national spirit.
March 1st. A petition was to be sent to the
Japanese government and US governments and - Although attitudes towards education changed
to the Paris Peace Conference. Crowds met to after the March 1st Movement, there were still
hear the declaration and following that, limited opportunities for Koreans to serve in
, IB HL History – China & Korea (Korea Segment)
demonstrations took place throughout the administration and teaching. The Japanese still
country. dominated the education scene in Korea.
- Estimated that 500,000 to 1 million people - 1922: 29% of teachers were Japanese
participated in the demonstrations along many - 1932: 30%
violent incidents in the cities. - 1948: 40%
- Although it did not materialise due to Japanese - Furthermore, the traditional route to honour and
repression, this was VERY SIGNIFICANT: privilege, advanced education and appointment to
- Some historians say it was the birth of modern general ofce were blocked for most Koreans. This
Korean nationalism, others say that it was a led to an unsatisfed desire for schooling at all
transformation from a small movement of levels, but especially at the higher levels.
isolated and scattered intellectuals and of tiny
exile groups abroad to a mass movement that 2) Literature + Censorship
cut across class lines. - After March 1st:
- The movement encouraged exiles abroad to - Although there were more freedoms in literature
combine eforts to achieve national following the culture movement, there were still
independence, an efort that was centred in many restrictions to their freedom.
Shanghai. - Koreans were not allowed to openly advocate for
- ALSO: It forced the Japanese government to independence; their criticisms of the
change its policy from a colonial policy to a administration had to be very circumspect. Failure
“cultural policy” (colonialism in disguise)! THE to adhere to this would result in the banning of
MOVEMENT HAD SIGNIFICANCE! organisations, the closing of publications and
- Another incident: Gwangju Students Anti- arrests.
Japanese Movement (1929). It lasted for about - Censorship was still carried out strictly.
5 months and involved 54,000 people. This was - After 1931 Manchurian incident:
the opportunity which identifed that students - The privileges (left and below) were withdrawn,
were the inner circle members of the the Choson Ilbo and Tonga Ilbo were both shut
independence movement and the trigger of the down.
national liberation enhancement in the
stagnant atmosphere of labour/peasant
movements at the end of the 1920s. This
independence movement is evaluated as one
of the largest representative racial movements
equivalent to the March 1st Movement against
the imperialism of Japan. Although their
protests resulted in severe repression from the
Japanese government (removal of 1920
liberating policies in 1930 era), the eforts that
the students made not only encouraged the
national independence movement, but also
What I need to know:
- Impact of Japanese rule of Korea: social, political and economic efects of annexation (1910); impact of the Sino-Japanese War on
Korea: Japanese use of forced labour, conscription and comfort women; division of Korea at 38 th parallel (1945); Syngman Rhee; Kim
Il-Sung
Impact of Japanese Rule on Korea (Socio-Economic-Political Impact): (1910-1937)
Impacts Positive impacts Negative impacts
Social Korea: Korea:
1) Sparked of modern Korean nationalism - Korean culture was on the verge of being
- Explicit attempts to annihilate Korean national annihilated as a result of Japanese imperialism.
consciousness had the adverse efect – it - The Japanese sought to assimilate Korean and
emboldened the Koreans to preserve its culture Japanese culture, and to remove Korean’s national
and to gain back its country. identity through education and censorship.
- As time passed, Koreans’ resentment against
the Japanese only grew. It was inspired anew 1) Education
by Wilson’s 14 Points, and the idea of “self- - The Education Act (1911) was designed to secure
determination.” manpower for the colonial administration in Korea,
- March 1st Movement: a nationwide resistance and aimed to extinguish Korean national
movement to Japanese occupation. consciousness.
- Events: - Under this act:
- Korean Youth Independence Corps was - 200,000-300,000 Korean works were confscated
organised by Korean students in Japan. 600 and burned.
students attended a meeting where they - The biographies of Korean national heroes of
passed a declaration written by Yi Kwang-su earlier centuries (e.g. Ulchi Mun-dok/Kang Kam-
calling for immediate independence. The group chan) were vandalised.
then sent members to Korea to agitate for - Korean translations of foreign books treating
independence there. independence, the birth of the nation, and
- However, the real catalyst was the death of the revolution such as the biographies of German Otto
last Choson king – Kojong’s death. Rumours von Bismarck and the Russian Peter the Great,
that the Japanese poisoned him or forced him were also vandalised.
to commit suicide added to unrest. - Ancient texts describing the Japanese as inferior
- Prior to the day of his funeral, representatives and uncivilised were destroyed.
of resistance groups issued a declaration of - These were all done to destroy the Korean national
independence in Pagoda Park in Seoul on consciousness and national spirit.
March 1st. A petition was to be sent to the
Japanese government and US governments and - Although attitudes towards education changed
to the Paris Peace Conference. Crowds met to after the March 1st Movement, there were still
hear the declaration and following that, limited opportunities for Koreans to serve in
, IB HL History – China & Korea (Korea Segment)
demonstrations took place throughout the administration and teaching. The Japanese still
country. dominated the education scene in Korea.
- Estimated that 500,000 to 1 million people - 1922: 29% of teachers were Japanese
participated in the demonstrations along many - 1932: 30%
violent incidents in the cities. - 1948: 40%
- Although it did not materialise due to Japanese - Furthermore, the traditional route to honour and
repression, this was VERY SIGNIFICANT: privilege, advanced education and appointment to
- Some historians say it was the birth of modern general ofce were blocked for most Koreans. This
Korean nationalism, others say that it was a led to an unsatisfed desire for schooling at all
transformation from a small movement of levels, but especially at the higher levels.
isolated and scattered intellectuals and of tiny
exile groups abroad to a mass movement that 2) Literature + Censorship
cut across class lines. - After March 1st:
- The movement encouraged exiles abroad to - Although there were more freedoms in literature
combine eforts to achieve national following the culture movement, there were still
independence, an efort that was centred in many restrictions to their freedom.
Shanghai. - Koreans were not allowed to openly advocate for
- ALSO: It forced the Japanese government to independence; their criticisms of the
change its policy from a colonial policy to a administration had to be very circumspect. Failure
“cultural policy” (colonialism in disguise)! THE to adhere to this would result in the banning of
MOVEMENT HAD SIGNIFICANCE! organisations, the closing of publications and
- Another incident: Gwangju Students Anti- arrests.
Japanese Movement (1929). It lasted for about - Censorship was still carried out strictly.
5 months and involved 54,000 people. This was - After 1931 Manchurian incident:
the opportunity which identifed that students - The privileges (left and below) were withdrawn,
were the inner circle members of the the Choson Ilbo and Tonga Ilbo were both shut
independence movement and the trigger of the down.
national liberation enhancement in the
stagnant atmosphere of labour/peasant
movements at the end of the 1920s. This
independence movement is evaluated as one
of the largest representative racial movements
equivalent to the March 1st Movement against
the imperialism of Japan. Although their
protests resulted in severe repression from the
Japanese government (removal of 1920
liberating policies in 1930 era), the eforts that
the students made not only encouraged the
national independence movement, but also
