Korean Unification Government


The Korean Unification Government, previously known as the Unification Military Government, was an independence movement group organized in Manchuria in February 1922 by integrating several independence movement groups active in the West Jiandao region. The Unification Government expanded and reorganized into the Korean Unification Government in August 1922, which was established as the first integrated independence army organization in West Jiandao and revitalized the activities of the independence army, which had been in a temporary stagnation, under the banner of Daedong unity. They carry out the anti-Japanese independence movement more effectively at the South Manchurian Unification Association held in Magwonja, Nam-gu, Hwanin-hyeon, Bongcheon-province. The Korean Unification Government carried out autonomous activities such as education and industry promotion and various armed struggle activities in the West Jiandao region. Due to its nature as a union of various organizations with different backgrounds, a division occurred, and it was divided into the reformed Righteous Army Command, General Staff Headquarters, and Righteous Government.

Background

Around the March 1st Movement in 1919, numerous armed independence movement groups, including the Seo-rogunjeongseo, were organized and active in the West Jiandao region, the middle and upper reaches of the Songhua River, centered on the area west of Mt. Baekdu and along the Yalu River. Accordingly, in 1920, Japan deployed a large number of troops into Manchuria to suppress Korean independence forces in the Manchurian region. However, when the subjugation operation against the independence army actually failed, with the independence army winning a landslide victory as seen in the Battle of Cheongsanri, Japan, in retaliation, committed the so-called the Gando Massacre in 1920, destroying Korean villages and massacring Koreans under the pretext of eradicating the base of the independence army. Through the Gando Massacre in 1920 and the Free City Incident in 1921, the armed independence units in Manchuria suffered a heavy blow. In the midst of this, independence movement groups in the West Jiandao region devoted all their efforts to rebuilding the foundation of the independence movement.
After two years of struggle, including the subjugated Zhou Gu-bae, they restored Manchuria, but a single independence movement group could not be formed. The people responsible for the restoration of the Manchuria region was Lee Woong-hae as general commander, Jeon Deok-won as staff member, Oh Dong-jin as treasurer, Hyeon Jeong-gyeong as judicial officer, Kim Woo-geun as liaison, and secretary. It was decided to select Go Hal-sin to organize a nationally unified independence movement group that would integrate each group. In order to reorganize the front lines of the independence war, representatives of the Korean Independence Association, Gwanghandan, and the Korean Liberation Army General held the Southern Manchurian Unification Conference. The independence activists realized that integrated activities were needed rather than the scattered activities divided into various organizations in the past. Therefore, the movement to form a powerful integrated independent corps gradually began to become a reality.

History

In February 1922 in the West Jiandao area, the Han Chinese Association, the Military administration, Korean Independence Foundation, The Korean Unification Government, a large-scale anti-Japanese organization formed through this alliance, expanded and developed into an integrated struggle group in the western Jiandao area in August of that year. Ministry of Unification of Korea was organized. Accordingly, representatives of the Han Chinese Association, Seorogunjeongseo, and Korean Independence Group united the organizations that had been dispersed until now at the mouth of Hwanin-hyeon, Bongcheon-seong in February 1922 and established the Unification Military Government. Afterwards, Gwanghandan, Korean Liberation Army General, etc. also participated.
On May 7, 1922, Kim Tae-yeon led the team and attacked the Yeongsan police station, killing three enemy police officers. At that time, Yang Gi-tak, who returned to Manchuria after being imprisoned in 1922, formed the Unification Committee and raised the unification of independence movement groups. In the spring of 1922, representatives of various independence military organizations, including the Korean Independence Corps, Seorogunjeongseo, Bohapdan, Korean Liberation Army General, Military Government, Korea Independence Association, and Gwanghandan gathered together and held the 'Southern Manchurian Unification Conference.' At this meeting, it was agreed to unite each organization and form the Unification Government. The independence activists who organized the Unification Military Government attempted to negotiate with more organizations to form an integrated organization.

Founding

The Unification Military Government held a central staff meeting on June 3, 1922 and decided to actively pursue integration with other organizations in the southern Manchuria area. The Unification Military Government decided to ‘open the Unification Military Government and unconditional unification with other organizations,’ At the Central Staff Meeting on June 3, 1922, the Unification Military Government announced that it would largely open its doors and unify with other organizations, but obey all public decisions, and negotiated with other independence movement groups.
On August 23, 71 representatives from various organizations participating in Hwanin-hyeon gathered together at the Southern Manchuria Unification Conference. These included, the mutual military settlement, the Korean Independence Corps, Korean Liberation Army Camp, Korean Church, Korea Justice Military Camp, Korean Liberation Army General Camp, North Pyongan Provincial Government, the Northern Military Administration Office, Korean Independence Association, Korean People's Association, Korean Liberation Army Camp, Korean Justice Military Camp, and the Korean Liberation Army General Command. Each organization resolved six issues, including dismantling and integrating all existing systems, changing the name of its military unit to Unification Government Volunteer Army, and preparing a charter with 9 chapters and 63 articles. As a result of a discussion on the issue of unification of armed independence groups at a meeting held on August 23, it was agreed to unconditionally unify the Unification Military Government with the other organizations, but to obey all public decisions. Therefore, the Unification Military Government was reorganized into the Korean Unification Government. On August 30, under the name of Kim Seung-man, Chairman of the Southern Han Chinese Unification Association, the meeting was held to announce the resolution of the formation of the Korean Unification Government.
In December of the following year, Kim Woo-geun led the Volunteer Army and engaged in a battle with the Junggangjin Jeongjeong Artillery Guard, injuring 11 enemy soldiers. On the way back, they collided with a Chinese police unit, wounding one Chinese police officer.

Internal Strife

Because the Korean Unification Government was an alliance of various forces in the western Jiandao region from the time of its establishment, there were differences in ideology and policy from the beginning. In particular, the conflict between republicanism and monarchism was serious over the seizure of military power. The monarchists, who advocate for the monarchy and aim to return to the existing Joseon dynasty or the Korean Empire, and the republicans who favor the republican government, as seen in the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, envisioned an independent nation that was too different to achieve perfect integration. The conflict arising from the fact that the central organization, which was the leadership, was led by the republican faction, and the front-line commanders had republican tendencies. The figure representing republicanism was Yang Gi-tak, and the figure representing monarchism was Jeon Deok-won from the Righteous Army Command.
On October 14, 1922, an incident occurred in which about 20 soldiers of the Pro-Japanese collaborators murdered Propaganda Director Kim Chang-ui and captured and beat key executives of Korean Unification Government, including Yang Gi-tak. Immediately after this incident occurred, Jeon Deok-won, Yang Gi-tak, and others tried to resolve it amicably, but despite this, the conflict between the monarchist faction and the republican faction within Unification Government worsened, leading to bloodshed.

Fragmentation

The conflict and dissatisfaction between monarchism and republicanism eventually led to an armed conflict in February 1923 between the two forces and the defection of monarchism. In the end, members of the monarchist faction, including Jeon Deok-won, Chae Sang-deok, Kim Pyeong-sik, Oh Seok-yeong, Park Dae-ho, and other monarchists within the volunteer army withdrew from the Korean Unification Government and reformed the Righteous Army Command. They declared that they would inherit Yu In-seok's loyalty and used the Yonghui era name to represent the tradition of the Righteous Army. Excluding Jeon Deok-won from key positions in the early days of the founding of Unification Government caused dissatisfaction among republicans.
Armed conflict continued between the Unification Government and the Uigunbu even after they were separated, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd companies of the volunteer army criticized the innocent sacrifices caused by the party conflict, appealed to gather under the banner of the provisional government, and withdrew from the Unification Government in May 1924. Subsequently, the 5th Company of the Volunteer Army also deserted Unification Government. They established the General Staff Headquarters as a military unit directly under the provisional government. In other words, the first division of Unification Government established the Uigunbu, and the second division created the General Staff Headquarters.
The Unification Government began to reorganize again and maintain its troops after a large number of volunteer troops deserted, but the antagonism with General Staff Headquarters continued thereafter. Eventually, with the formation of the Righteous Government in November 1924, most of the independence activists who remained in the Unification Government joined the Righteous Government. The 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th companies were newly organized around the remaining 4th company, maintaining the same five companies as before. However, the conflict between the Righteous Military Government and the General Staff Headquarters continued. Meanwhile, when the Righteous Government was organized in November 1924, most of the independence activists who remained in the Korean Unification Government joined the Righteous Government, and the issue was naturally resolved.