SEOUL, March 5 (UPI) -- Every year on March 1, South Koreans commemorate the anniversary of the 1919 March 1 Movement, a nationwide uprising against Japanese imperial rule that galvanized the Korean independence movement.
Alongside Liberation Day on Aug. 15, March 1 (Samiljeol) remains one of the nation's most significant holidays, marking a pivotal moment when Koreans began to assert modern national identity.
While Korea's liberation in 1945 was an abrupt consequence of Japan's defeat in World War II, the March 1st Movement was a deliberate and symbolic turning point in the nation's history.
On March 1, 1919, following the reading of the Declaration of Independence by 33 nationalist leaders from Protestant, the native Korean Cheondogyo, and Buddhist backgrounds in Seoul, demonstrators took to the streets waving Taegeukgi flags, now the national flag of the Republic of Korea, and chanting "Mansei for Korean independence!" The protests quickly spread across the Korean Peninsula, culminating in 1,214 recorded demonstrations over two months.
At the time, Korea's population stood at approximately 17 million and, according to records from the Japanese Governor-General's Office, around 1.06 million people participated in the protests. The Japanese colonial authorities responded with brutal suppression, leading to 7,509 deaths, 45,000 injuries, and over 47,000 arrests. Although ultimately unsuccessful in securing independence, the movement laid the foundation for future nationalist efforts and influenced anti-colonial movements in China, India, Egypt, and Turkey.
A historical paradox
The March 1 Movement was partly inspired by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's 1918 14 Points, prepared as guidelines for the peace negotiations at Versailles at the end of World War I. They included the principle of national self-determination, which raised hopes among Korean intellectuals. However, Wilson's policy was primarily aimed at dismantling the defeated Central Powers' empires after World War I and did not extend to colonies like Korea, which was under the rule of a victorious power, Japan.
Among those who viewed the movement with skepticism was reformist journalist Yun Chi-ho (1865-1945). Writing in English, Yun criticized the protests as unrealistic, arguing that Korea lacked the necessary strength to resist Japan and warning that such efforts would only provoke harsher repression. However, his pragmatic stance underestimated the movement's transformative impact. Despite failing to achieve immediate independence, the March 1 Movement fostered a national consciousness that transcended Korea's rigid class divisions, ultimately helping to shape a modern identity.
The movement also forced Japan to shift its colonial policies, allowing for the establishment of modern Korean-language newspapers such as Chosun Ilbo and Dong-A Ilbo. These publications played a crucial role in fostering national identity, subtly resisting Japanese rule, and preparing Koreans for eventual self-governance. However, as Japan's militarist expansion intensified in the 1930s, these newspapers faced severe censorship and suppression.
Syngman Rhee and the international struggle for independence
A key figure in Korea's independence movement, Syngman Rhee, would later become the first president of the Republic of Korea. A former student of Woodrow Wilson at Princeton University, Rhee quickly realized the limitations of Wilson's self-determination doctrine in securing Korean independence. Instead, he sought to build alliances with Western powers.
Rhee's diplomatic efforts were shaped by a deep-seated frustration with the international community's neglect of Korea's plight. In 1905, he had unsuccessfully appealed to U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt to intervene against Japan's annexation of Korea. The United States, prioritizing its strategic alliance with Japan, had tacitly recognized Japanese control over Korea through the Taft-Katsura Agreement. Rhee, living in exile in Hawaii, spent decades organizing the Korean diaspora and advocating for independence, refusing U.S. citizenship in steadfast commitment to Korea's sovereignty.
The March 1 Movement also led to the establishment of the Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai, a key milestone in Korea's pursuit of independence and self-rule. However, deep divisions emerged within the independence movement over strategy and leadership.
Today, some political factions in South Korea argue that the nation's official founding date should be set in 1919, coinciding with the establishment of the provisional government, rather than in 1948, when the Republic of Korea was formally established under Rhee's leadership. Critics view this historical revisionism as an attempt to align South Korea's legitimacy with left-wing nationalist narratives, particularly those emphasizing anti-Japanese resistance.
March 1 in the modern political landscape
On March 1, 2025, massive protests unfolded in Seoul's Gwanghwamun and Yeouido districts, as well as in major cities across the country. Millions gathered in person and via live broadcasts to challenge the legitimacy of the presidential impeachment and call on the Constitutional Court to deliver a fair ruling. These demonstrations serve as a testament to the enduring spirit of the March 1 Movement, which sought not only political independence but also a Korea built on principles of human dignity and freedom.
Many leaders of the March 1 Movement, despite enduring oppression, envisioned a future where Koreans and Japanese could move beyond historical grievances to build a better Asia. Their emphasis on nonviolent resistance and their willingness to forgive, despite suffering under imperial rule, highlight the moral foundation of Korea's independence struggle. This legacy continues to resonate today, urging Koreans to uphold the principles of justice, reconciliation, and self-determination in the face of ongoing political and ideological challenges.
As Korea navigates its modern political landscape, the movement's legacy challenges both domestic and diaspora Koreans to fulfill the nation's unachieved aspiration -- a unified, constitutional republic that guarantees fundamental human rights and freedoms as endowed by the Creator, not by any human institution. More than an act of defiance, the March 1 Movement was a profound assertion of Korea's moral and philosophical vision -- one that remains vital in today's pursuit of justice, unity, and true national sovereignty.
