Rabbit rabbit! Today, not only are we celebrating the beginning of Women’s History Month and warmer weather, but we are also remembering one of the first significant protest movements in South Korea. On March 1, 1919, 33 Korean activists convened at a restaurant in Seoul, where they introduced the Korean Declaration of Independence written by historian Choi Nam Sun. Inspired by President Woodrow Wilson’s “Fourteen Points” speech, the declaration listed grievances against Imperial Japan, including harsh mistreatment of Koreans by Japanese soldiers, lack of Korean political representation, and disparities in education, employment, and taxes. Prior to this landmark meeting, penultimate Emperor Gojong died suspiciously on January 21, 1919. A fearless advocate for Korea’s independence, Emperor Gojong was believed to have been poisoned by the Japanese. His death was a major catalyst in Korea’s independence movement.
Since the initial 33 activists were arrested shortly after they met in Seoul, student Jung Jae-yong presented the declaration in Pagoda Park to a huge crowd. Other delegates also read the declaration publicly across multiple places throughout the country later that afternoon. Those who gathered to hear the proclamation of independence joined together to march peacefully in protest, with almost two million Koreans in attendance across more than 1,500 demonstrations. In response, the Japanese government slaughtered several thousand Koreans who participated in the protests.
A rather outspoken activist named Yu Gwansun was brutally tortured to death by Japanese police. Born on December 16, 1902, Yu was heavily influenced by her Protestant family. She was considered a bright child and encouraged by an American missionary to enroll at Ewha Hakdang, an all-girls school (now known as Ewha Womans University located in Seoul, South Korea). While she was only 16 years old and a high school student at Ewha, Yu saw a revolution forming against colonial Japan. On that fateful day of March 1, 1919, Yu and four of her classmates joined protests in the streets. The next day, she went back to school to urge her peers to join her in a student demonstration. On March 5, Yu and her fellow school members marched into Namdaemun, where they were detained by Japanese police.
Although the missionaries who ran Ewha Hakdang negotiated for her release the first time she was arrested, Yu was arrested once more after another demonstration, during which her parents were killed. While in prison, Yu famously wrote, “Even if my fingernails are torn out, my nose and ears ripped apart, and my legs and arms are crushed, this physical pain does not compare to the pain of losing my nation… My only remorse is not being able to do more than dedicating my life to my country.” For her persistence and courage, Yu is considered Korea’s “Joan of Arc” and regarded as a national hero.
Known as 삼일절 (pronounced “sam il jeol”), March 1 is now considered a national holiday in Korea in remembrance of those who spearheaded Korea’s independence movement and liberation from Japanese rule.
If you’d like to learn more about this movement and celebrate Korean heritage, come join us tonight at PMC for Proximity starting at 7:30! KASA will be hosting vespers in collaboration with SILA and the Student Missions Club. We hope to see you there!
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.