Chapter 79 Section five

Here is a brief review of the pre-war Korean situation against such an international background. On August 15, 1945, the Japanese army surrendered. Three weeks later (that is, September 8), the U.S. Fourteenth Army under the command of Lieutenant General Hodge marched from Okinawa and landed in Incheon. Announcement No. 1 conveyed the original intent of the U.S. military, declaring that a military government would be established in South Korea, and that various Japanese agencies and staff would be retained. Anyone who disturbed public order or resisted the occupying forces would be severely punished, and English was stipulated as the official language. etc.On this day, the Democratic Party of Korea was established.Nine individuals from the US military administration using this system set up an advisory body.Syngman Rhee returned from the United States and became the leader of the right wing.On October 17, Lieutenant General Hodge declared that the military government was the only government in South Korea, and began to suppress the people's committees at all levels organized in various parts of South Korea.The meeting of foreign ministers of the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union held in Moscow in December 1945 determined a specific solution to the Korean issue.

The gist of the solution determined at the Moscow meeting is: establish a Korean democratic provisional government, create conditions to quickly eradicate the evil results caused by the long-term rule of Japanese imperialism; agreement; in order to guide the Korean Provisional Government to obtain national independence, the joint committee implemented a four-country (US, Soviet, British, and Chinese) supervision system to provide assistance, etc.Soon after, the United States itself resisted the decision. Syngman Rhee and Kim Sung-soo (the leader of the Democratic Party of South Korea) and others said that the decision of the Moscow meeting was to entrust North Korea, and launched an opposition movement, and some nationalists resonated with them.Hodge announced that they have the "freedom to oppose", supported them, and attempted to form an interim government with this group (Democratic Congressmen) as the core, and remove the main content of the line decided by the foreign ministers of the three countries.In order to obtain a "majority" for the formation of a provisional government by agreement, numerous associations were created, amounting to a total of one hundred and nineteen.

The Soviet Union expressed its opposition to this, and the joint committee held two meetings successively, and finally ended without reaching a consensus. South Korea held elections for "legislators"—the Legislative Assembly serving as an advisory body to the U.S. military and political authorities—forty-five of the ninety members were officially elected members appointed by the U.S. military and political authorities. The prototype of the development of an independent government in North Korea. In September 1947, the United States submitted a proposal to the second session of the United Nations General Assembly to consider the North Korean issue, resolutely refusing to hold negotiations with the Soviet Union stationed in North Korea.Regardless of the opposition of the Soviet Union, the United Nations passed the U.S. proposal and decided to send a "United Nations Interim Commission on North Korea" to hold a "general election" under its supervision.

On the other hand, in North Korea, the Central Bureau of the Workers' Party of Korea became the main organization for the peaceful reunification of the whole of Korea.In view of the special situation in South Korea, the Party Central Committee is located in North Korea.Other people's committees were called together and the "North Korean Provisional People's Committee" was established, with Kim Il Sung as its chairman.In February 1948, the North Korean People's Assembly decided to establish a People's Army. In South Korea, any criticism and defiance are not allowed.In October 1946, a large-scale people's resistance movement centered in Daegu swept across South Korea. More than two million people participated in the protest. The United States dispatched air force and mechanized troops to suppress it.At that time, 300 people were beaten to death, 3,600 people were missing, and 15,000 people were arrested and thrown into prison.

In December 1946, Syngman Rhee went to the United States to negotiate the establishment of a separate government in South Korea.At this time, many groups opposing the U.S. military and political authorities were disbanded, and as many as 26,400 people were thrown into South Korean prisons to serve their sentences. On August 15, 1948, the founding ceremony of the "Republic of Korea" was held in Seoul. Syngman Rhee became president, and MacArthur also attended the ceremony.Prior to this, in April, it was decided that the "United Nations Interim Commission on North Korea" would supervise the separate elections in South Korea.The people opposed separate elections and staged fierce resistance.On February 7, workers affiliated with the South Korean Federation of Trade Unions resolutely held a general strike. A large-scale struggle was held for three consecutive days, with two million people participating.Voter registration began on March 30, and police and terrorists broke into their homes to beat anyone who refused to register. There were many incidents of lynching and arson.On Jeju Island, 20,000 residents revolted against the suppression, and 14 out of 15 police stations were attacked by the People's Armed Forces. "There are guerrillas in all the hills and mountainous areas of South Korea, and they demonstrate every night with smoke." On August 24, the "Interim Military Agreement between South Korea and the United States" was signed.On October 1, the "Korea-U.S. Economic Assistance Agreement" was signed. Its essence is the same as that of the Japan-U.S. Administrative Agreement. until.Any South Korean region that the U.S. military deems necessary for joint defense can be occupied.

The Rhee government enacted the "National Security Act" in November 1948.It's the Japanese equivalent, and just as harsh.On the other hand, the "riot" has never stopped.The 14th Company, which was sent to suppress the uprising in Jeju Island, launched an uprising in Yeosu and Suncheon, and expanded its guerrilla activities centering on mountainous areas.By March 1949, the scope of guerrilla activities covered the 78 counties of the eight-do-three cities in South Korea, out of the 131 counties in the eight-do-twelve cities. The second "election" was held on May 30, 1950. Syngman Rhee forced sixty-six candidates from the anti-Sungman Rhee faction to withdraw from the election, and under the "National Security Law" arrested the Two hundred and twenty people were active.Even so, out of the 210 seats, the Rhee faction won only 48 seats.Syngman Rhee's regime is facing its final moments due to the crisis caused by his dictatorship.Soon, war broke out on the 38th Parallel. "It is an attempt to survive by provoking war." (Park Kyung-sik, Kang Jae-yan: "History of Joseon")

Contrary to these records in South Korea, North Korea, under the leadership of Kim Il Sung, laid a solid foundation step by step and engaged in industrial construction.North Korea's record of this is written in more beautiful terms, but in all fairness, it's about as good as it actually is.Because strikes, riots and assassinations like those in South Korea are not seen in North Korea.At most, it is just that the general peasants are a little "dissatisfied" because of the construction of heavy industry.With regard to North Korea, it is impossible to get such a dark impression as South Korea.

Due to space constraints, the above is only a rough overview of the situation in South Korea.In short, on the eve of the outbreak of the Korean War, the Syngman Rhee government had reached a desperate situation and was in a state of finding a miraculous way of survival.This cannot be denied.

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