Korean Liberation Army
Encyclopedia
The Korean Liberation Army, established on September 17, 1941 in Chongqing
, China
, was the armed force of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
. Its commandant was General Ji Cheong-cheon
, with General Lee Bum Suk
, a hero of the Battle of Cheongsanri and future prime minister of South Korea as the Chief of Staff.
and Germany
on December 9, 1941, the units of the KLA participated on the allied side in the Chinese and Southeast Asian theatres. The Regulation regarding the activities of the Korean Liberation Army, imposed by the Chinese Nationalist Government upon the provisional government in 1941, placed the KLA under the supreme authority of the Commander-in-chief of the Chinese army. This regulation was repealed in 1944, after the provisional government had achieved improved financial standing and greater importance in the eyes of the Chinese government.
In 1943, socialist-aligned guerilla groups joined the KLA, and their leader, General Kim Wonbong, became the deputy commandant of the KLA. Its numbers were continuously boosted by the influx of Koreans escaping from the Japanese army (into which some in mainland Korea had been impressed) and through the recruitment of Koreans living in China. From its humble beginnings with an officer corps of 30 men at its foundation in 1941, the KLA grew to a substantial force with almost a thousand in active service by the end of the war.
to train men for specialist military operations within Korea. The leading units were due to depart on August 20, with General Lee in command. However, the aspiration of the KLA to play a significant role in the liberation of Korea from Japanese occupation was not fulfilled, as Japan unconditionally surrendered to the allies on August 15. Three days later, a helicopter carrying twenty-odd members of the KLA landed in Seoul, only to be forced back by the Japanese military, which refused to surrender until USA military forces arrived.
, who himself claimed to have been a KLA commander.
There has been a movement in South Korea for years to change the National Armed Forces Day from October 1 to September 17, in honor of the foundation of the Korean Liberation Army in 1941.
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, was the armed force of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was the partially recognised government in exile of Korea, based in Shanghai, China, and later in Chongqing, during the Colonial Korea.-History:...
. Its commandant was General Ji Cheong-cheon
Ji Cheong-cheon
Ji Cheong-Cheon , also known as Yi Cheong-Cheon was a Korean independence activist during the period of Japanese rule . He later became a South Korean politician...
, with General Lee Bum Suk
Lee Beom-seok (Prime Minister)
Lee Beom-seok was a Korean independence activist and first prime minister of South Korea from 1948 to 1950. For a time, he also headed the Korean Youth Corps .-Notes:...
, a hero of the Battle of Cheongsanri and future prime minister of South Korea as the Chief of Staff.
Early Days
The KLA brought together many Korean guerilla armies that proliferated in Northern Korea, Manchuria and mainland China during the 1920s. After the declaration of war by the Provisional Government against JapanEmpire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
and Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
on December 9, 1941, the units of the KLA participated on the allied side in the Chinese and Southeast Asian theatres. The Regulation regarding the activities of the Korean Liberation Army, imposed by the Chinese Nationalist Government upon the provisional government in 1941, placed the KLA under the supreme authority of the Commander-in-chief of the Chinese army. This regulation was repealed in 1944, after the provisional government had achieved improved financial standing and greater importance in the eyes of the Chinese government.
In 1943, socialist-aligned guerilla groups joined the KLA, and their leader, General Kim Wonbong, became the deputy commandant of the KLA. Its numbers were continuously boosted by the influx of Koreans escaping from the Japanese army (into which some in mainland Korea had been impressed) and through the recruitment of Koreans living in China. From its humble beginnings with an officer corps of 30 men at its foundation in 1941, the KLA grew to a substantial force with almost a thousand in active service by the end of the war.
End of the War
In 1945, the KLA was working in cooperation with the US Office of Strategic ServicesOffice of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
to train men for specialist military operations within Korea. The leading units were due to depart on August 20, with General Lee in command. However, the aspiration of the KLA to play a significant role in the liberation of Korea from Japanese occupation was not fulfilled, as Japan unconditionally surrendered to the allies on August 15. Three days later, a helicopter carrying twenty-odd members of the KLA landed in Seoul, only to be forced back by the Japanese military, which refused to surrender until USA military forces arrived.
Post War
The members of the KLA returned to Korea during late 1945 and 1946. Many of its members, including Generals Ji and Lee, were to become part of the South Korean government, while General Kim contributed to the North Korean regime of Kim Il-sungKim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung was a Korean communist politician who led the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to his death...
, who himself claimed to have been a KLA commander.
There has been a movement in South Korea for years to change the National Armed Forces Day from October 1 to September 17, in honor of the foundation of the Korean Liberation Army in 1941.
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- History of KoreaHistory of KoreaThe Korean Peninsula was inhabited from the Lower Paleolithic about 400,000-500,000 years ago. Archeological evidence indicates that the presence of modern humans in northeast Asia dates to 39,000 years ago. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began...
- Korean independence movementKorean independence movementThe Korean independence movement grew out of the Japanese colonial rule of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. After the Japanese surrendered, Korea became independent; that day is now an annual holiday called Gwangbokjeol in South Korea, and Chogukhaebangŭi nal in North Korea.-Background:In...
- Provisional Government of the Republic of KoreaProvisional Government of the Republic of KoreaThe Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was the partially recognised government in exile of Korea, based in Shanghai, China, and later in Chongqing, during the Colonial Korea.-History:...
- Righteous armyRighteous armyRighteous armies, sometimes called irregular armies or militias, have appeared several times in Korean history, when the national armies were in need of assistance....