The history of Korea plays a part in our own history as individuals. The person who does not know his or her nation’s history cannot establish a proper identity. Moreover, Korea’s modern history is a setting that shows God’s sovereignty and His providential intervention, that He does not rest for one minute or even a second in order to bring redemption to mankind. At a time when humanistic discourses that distort and trivialize this history are rife in our midst, Senior Pastor Abraham Park has published an account of Korea’s modern history entitled A Series on the Modern History of  Korea, a fourbooklet series, through Huisun. Through this series, future generations will be able to obtain a correct and righteous view of their own history founded on God-centeredness. Champyungan will summarize the contents of the booklet series over eight monthly issues.

The order of the summaries will be as follows:
1. Prelude to the Annexation of Korea ? Japanese Forced Occupation (1)
2. Prelude to the Annexation of Korea ? Japanese Forced Occupation (2)
3. The Jeju Riots of April 3rd (1)
4. The Jeju Riots of April 3rd (2)
5. The Revolt of the 14th Regiment at Yeosu (The Yeosu, Suncheon Incident) (1)
6. The Revolt of the 14th Regiment at Yeosu (The Yeosu, Suncheon Incident) (2)
7. The Unforgettable War of June 25th (1)
8. The Unforgettable War of June 25th (2)

1. Japanese annexation of Korea (the humiliation of the nation in 1910) ? August 29, 1910
After patriot An Jung-geun’s shot Ito Hirobumi, Japan was swept with public opinion to completely annex Korea immediately. On July 23, 19210, Japanese army officer Terauchi Masatake was sent as the 3rd Resident-General of Korea. On August 19, 1910, five years after the Eulsa Treaty was signed, our nation succumbed to the Japanese oppression and approved the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty during the time of Sunjong, the last king of Korea. At the time, Emperor Sunjong stated that “the Japanese annexation of Korea is invalid” and left as his last testament that “Japan plotted this with the rebellious subjects (such as Lee Wan-yong) as they pleased and proclaimed it. They confined and threatened me to do this.” Along with Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty, the 27th Chosun dynasty completely lost its 519 year-long sovereignty. The entire Korean Peninsula became another man’s land overnight and a hell-like Japanese colonial rule began.

2. March First Independence Movement (March 1, 1919)
(1) The catalyst of the March First Independence Movement
United States President Wilson’s proclamation in January of 1919 of his ‘Fourteen Points’ outlining that ‘all nations should have the right of their national self-determination’ was the main impetus to the independence movement. This gave our people great courage to take back the nation, and the opportunity for the movement to attain independence began to blossom.
Another crucial moment was when Emperor Gojong, the 26th king of Korea suddenly died at 6 am on January 21, 1919 at the age of 67. As the sorrow of losing the nation escalated to its extreme among the entire people and national representatives, it was predicted that great crowds would gather in Seoul to see the national funeral of Emperor Gojong and used this as a golden opportunity for the independence movement. Two days before Emperor Gojong’s funeral on March 3rd, they stirred up a nationwide movement of the people for the March First Movement.

(2) Declaration of Independence?an integration of the spirit of the March First Independence Movement*
Around 5,000 people gathered at Pagoda Park in Seoul at 2 pm on March 1, 1919. They recited the historical Declaration of Independence and then sonorously shouted in unison, “Long live independence!” The Declaration of Independence integrated the spirit of the March First Independence Movement. Its contents bore no resentment towards the merciless rule of the Japanese; but instead they emphasized the sole cause of the movement?that our nation must become autonomous. It also revealed the noble spirit of the Korean people in seeking world peace, humanitarianism, a spirit of freedom and equality that transcended status and gender. The spirit of March First was the founding principle of our nation of which we must be proud and pass down forever in the history of Korea.

(3) The blaze of the March First Independence Movement spread nationwide
March First Movement erupted over 1,542 times in 211 counties nationwide. Nearly two million people consisting men and women of all ages and from all walks of life?youth, teachers, students, religious people, merchants, farmers, workers, children, courtesans, beggars and so forth?participated transcending region, religion, and social status. With nearly several millions of people in the procession, it became a groundbreaking milestone that allowed the powerless grass roots of Korea to stand tall in history. It was the most righteous, courageous, and glorious movement unprecedented in the history of independence movements of any other nation.

(4) The Independence Movement of Patriotic Martyr Yu Gwan-sun and her sacrifice
Patriotic martyr Yu Gwan-sun (1902?1920) is a person that cannot be excluded from the March First Independence Movement. At the time, patriotic martyr Yu Gwan-sun was an 18 year old first year student at Ehwa Hakdang high school. She was a student smart enough to be recommended to receive a scholarship. Patriotic martyr Yu Gwan-sun participated in the March First Independence Movement and as a result she was captured by the police but released through the strong requests of foreign missionaries.
Through the temporary closing of schools on March 10, Yu Gwan-sun returned home to Cheonan. After an evening service on Sunday, March 16, Yu Gwan-sun along with her father Yu Jung-kwon, mother Lee So-jae, and neighborhood adults such as Cho In-won (father of Cho Byung-ock) targeted Aunae (Byungcheon) Marketplace and planned a demonstration. On April 1, 1919 at approximately 9 am (March 1 on lunar calendar), more than 3,000 people disguised as market people formed a crowd at Aunae Marketplace. At 1 pm Cho In-won, who finished reciting the Declaration of Independence, first raised both arms and began to shout “Long live Korean independence!” and the crowd joined in cheering and marched onward.
Yu Gwan-sun also carried a large Korean flag hanging on a rod and took the lead in the demonstration lines. The Japanese military police randomly stabbed and shot the peacefully demonstrating crowd. On this day, the merciless Japanese military police killed 19 people including Yu Gwan-sun’s parents with a bayonet. Patriotic martyr Yu Gwan-sun was captured by the Japanese military police and sentenced to five years in prison. Even in Seodaemun Prison, she often shouted “Love live Korean independence!” She was branded as a felon who instigated disturbances throughout the prison and received all sorts of beatings and torture in an underground cell not even 1 pyeong (approx. 3.3 m2).
Her face was swollen, clearly looked ill, and pus continued to flow out of her rotting body. Eventually, on September 28, 1920 at 8:20 am., the patriotic martyr died for her country at Seodaemun Prison. She was at the age of 19 in the prime of her youth. Yu Gwan-sun grew up in a home that converted to Christianity when she was very young and grew in her faith while attending Chung Dong Church near her school. Her deep faith strengthened her not to succumb to the harsh torture of the Japanese, and she became a model for those who died for the nation’s independence.

3. 36 years of barbaric brutality of Japanese and Christian oppression
(1) Incident of 105 People (1910?1911)
An Myung-geun concentrated on the restoration of national sovereignty through education when the entire nation faced a dark night after the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty. He had planned to help Korean young adults emigrate to Xi Gan Dao and establish schools, educate them, and send them to independent schools in China to nurture a Liberation Army. However, Min Byung-chan and others of Shincheon, Hwanghae-do informed the Japanese military police of their plans, and An Myung-geun was arrested by the Japanese police in December 1910. The Japanese intentionally exaggerated this incident to arrest approximately 160 participants of the Siminhoe (New People’s Association) of Hwanghae-do, and used this as a reason to annihilate him and much of the Christian church. Pastors, elders, deacons, and approximately 700 people who did not cooperate with the Japanese were arrested. From January of 1912, the Japanese police brutally tortured Koreans using fabricated evidence in order to gather false confessions. At the first trial on August 30, 1912, 105 people were found guilty. This became known as the ‘Incident of 105 People’. Through the incident of 105 people, Japan originally tried to deport missionaries, but withdrew from arresting and deporting them as the world began to criticize their deeds as religious suppression.

(2) Loss of Suwon Jeam-ri Church along with 23 people in the church (1919)
As the blaze of the March First Movement swept the nation, in early April 1919 young adults were determined to hold a demonstration at Jeam-ri Church of Hwasung (Suwon County at the time), Gyeongi-do. When the marketplace opened up in their neighboring village called Balan, they secretly lit beacons every night without Japanese police awareness and shouted, “Long live Korean independence!” On April 15, 1919 at 2 pm, approximately ten days past the movement, the Japanese military police mobilized a platoon of 30 people. After suddenly corralling the congregation members of Jeam-ri Church into the sanctuary, they closed the doors and windows, nailing them shut. The military police unit simultaneously began shooting and set the church on fire. Congregation members who jumped out of the fire were killed by either a gun or sword. Twenty three people were killed at this time. This kind of massacre and brutality was committed in the same manner in fifteen other areas neighboring Suhcheonli (near Suwon) where Christians lived.

(3) Japanese subjugation of Korea
Japanese began an ethnic annihilation policy to subjugate Koreans under the title of “vassal for Japanese emperor.” It was an act of religious aggression that violated freedom of religion. From 1936 when Minami Jiro was appointed Governor-General, each local town and community installed Shinto shrines, approximately 2,300 in total.

① Coercing Shinto shrine worship at schools
In March 1935, Yasudake, who was appointed over Pyeongnam, summoned a meeting for principals of public and private junior high schools in Pyeongannam-do and ordered Shinto shrine worship. Those who refused to participate due to their faith were expelled from their duties as principal.

② Coercing Shinto shrine worship at churches
The Japanese coerced churches to post a ghost card called ‘kamisama’ inside the church and to bow before service in the direction of the East. In Gyeongnam, Reverend Joo Ki-chul instilled their decision to oppose Shinto shrine worship in September 1931, when he said “Shinto shrine worship is a sin that violates the Ten Commandments! Shinto shrine worship is a sin bowing to idols.” However, when Reverend Hong Taek-ki became the 27th General Assembly president in 1938, all the General Assembly affiliated pastors succumbed before Japanese authority and agreed to Shinto shrine worship.

(4) The martyrdom of Reverend Joo Ki-chul
Reverend Joo Ki-chul was born on November 25, 1897 at Changwon, Gyeongnam as the fourth son among the four sons and three daughters of Joo Hyun-sung. As soon as he was appointed as pastor of Sang Jung Hyun Church in Pyongyang, he began constructing a new sanctuary. The dedication service took place in a year and half, but Reverend Joo was suddenly arrested 15 minutes before the service. He was arrested a second time in opposition to the 1938 General Assembly’s approval of Shinto shrine worship, and he was imprisoned a third time in July 1938. In September 1939, he was taken to the police station for a fourth time, and on December 19 he was discharged from pastoral duties by the General Assembly that succumbed to Japanese authority. On March 24, 1940 after the Sang Jung Hyun Church was completely closed, he was banned from pastoral housing and was transferred to the Pyongyang Prison in 1942.
Japanese torture and oppression towards Reverend Joo were so indescribably brutal and harsh, but even in these circumstances, praise never ceased from Reverend Joo’s cell. On the day of his martyrdom, Reverend Joo left these final words with his wife Oh Jung-mo who came as the final visitor, “I don’t expect to live and get out from this red brick door. Please pray for me. I will pray for all the churches of Korea in the Kingdom of God. May my death become a grain of wheat.” He was then carried on the back of a prison guard again.
His wife Oh Jung-mo’s heart ached and when she asked, “Do you have any other last requests,” it is known that Reverend Joo Ki-chul said, “Darling, I want a bowl of warm scorched-rice water. . .” How frail his body must have become with his wounds from torture in a freezing prison cell at 25 degrees below zero temperature for him to have asked for a bowl of warn scorched-rice water! Five hours later, at 9 am on Friday, April 21, 1944, Reverend Joo Ki-chul was martyred at Pyongyang Prison at the age of 48 near the end of approximately seven years of harsh prison life since 1938. In order to protect the lamp of our nation, Reverend Joo Ki-chul became a precious grain of wheat that continued the unceasing tradition of the faith of Korean Church.

Summary by reporter Ji Geun-ook