United States Army Military Government in Korea

The United States Army Military Government in Korea, also known as USAMGIK, was the official ruling body of the southern half of the Korean Peninsula from September 8, 1945 to August 15, 1948. Many of the foundations for the modern South Korean system were laid during this period.

The country in this period was plagued by political and economic chaos, which arose from a variety of causes. The aftereffects of the Japanese occupation were still felt in the occupation zone, as well as in the Soviet zone in the North.ref|mildiscord1 In addition, the U.S. military was largely unprepared for the challenge of administering the country, arriving with no knowledge of the language or political situation.ref|mildiscord2 Thus, many of their policies had unintended destabilizing effects. Waves of refugees from North Korea (estimated at 400,000 ref|refugees) and returnees from abroad also helped to keep the country in turmoil.ref|mildiscord3

Background

The short-lived People's Republic of Korea had been established throughout Korea in August, in consultation with Japanese authorities.ref|milprk1 It was outlawed in the South shortly after U.S. arrival.ref|milprk2 The leader of the People's Republic, Yeo Un-hyeon, stepped down and formed the Working People's Party.ref|milprk3 The U.S. administration also refused to recognize the members of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, led by Kim Ku, who were obliged to enter the country as private citizens..ref|milprk4

Key events

After Japan's surrender to the Allies, division at the 38th parallel marked the beginning of Soviet and U.S. trusteeship over the North and South, respectively. U.S. forces landed at Incheon on September 8 1945 and established a military government shortly thereafter.ref|millanding1 The forces landing at Incheon were of the 24th Corps of the US Tenth Army.ref|millanding2 They were commanded by Lt. General John R. Hodge, who then took charge of the government.ref|millanding3

Faced with mounting popular discontent, in October 1945 Hodge established the Korean Advisory Council. A year later, an interim legislature and interim government were established, headed by Kim Kyu-shik and Syngman Rhee respectively. However, these interim bodies lacked any independent authority.

A proposal was made in 1945 for a long-term trusteeship arrangement. In December 1945, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to administer the country under the U.S.-Soviet Joint Commission, as termed by the Moscow Conference of Foreign Ministers. It was agreed that Korea would govern independently after four years of international oversight. However, both the U.S. and the USSR approved Korean-led governments in their respective halves, each of which were favorable to the occupying power's political ideology. These arrangements were largely rejected by the majority of the Korean population,Fact|date=January 2008 which responded with violent insurrections in the North and protests in the South.Fact|date=April 2008

The USMGIK tried to contain civil violence by banning strikes on December 8 and outlawing the revolutionary government and the people's committees on December 12. Things spiralled quickly out of control quickly however, with a massive strike on September 23 1946 by 8,000 railway workers in Busan which quickly spread to other cities in the South. On October 1, police attempts to control rioters in Daegu caused the death of three student demonstrators and injuries to many others, sparking a mass counter-attack killing 38 policemen. Over in Yeongcheon, a police station came under attack by a 10,000-strong crowd on October 3, killing over 40 policemen and the county chief. Other attacks killed about 20 landlords and pro-Japanese officials. The US administration responded by declaring martial law, firing into crowds of demonstrators and killing an unknown number of people [ [http://www.greenleft.org.au/2000/412/23267 Green Left - Features: HISTORICAL FEATURE: The Korean War - a war of counter-revolution ] ] .

Education

Among the earliest edicts promulgated by USAMGIK was one reopening all schools, issued in November 1945. No immediate changes were made in the educational system, which was simply carried over from the Japanese colonial period. In this area, as in others, the military government sought to maintain the forms of the Japanese occupation system.

Although it did not implement sweeping educational reforms, the military government did lay the foundations for reforms which were implemented early in the First Republic. In 1946, a council of about 100 Korean educators was convened to map out the future path of Korean education.

Politics

Although the military government was hostile to leftism from the beginning, it did initially tolerate the activities of groups including the Korean Communist Party.

The government sought to strike a balance between hard-left and hard-right groups and encourage moderation. However, this frequently simply had the effect of angering powerful leaders such as Syngman Rhee (on the right).

Inter-Korean relations

At the time of division, the overwhelming majority of Korean industry was concentrated in the North, while most of the agricultural land was in the South. Power lines and shipping connections were maintained during this period, but were frequently and unpredictably cut off. The North, controlled during this period by the USSR, had the ability to wreak havoc in the South by cutting off the supply of electricity or fertilizer, and frequently did so.

Economy

The economy of South Korea did not fare well during this period, although the first foundation-stones of recovery were successfully laid.

Serious problems were faced with counterfeiting during this period.

Culture

The freedom of the press guaranteed by USAMGIK led to an explosion of media activity, primarily in the newspaper sector but also in radio.

This period also saw the first flowering of Korean literature and other aspects of Korean culture, which had been severely repressed during the later years of the Japanese occupation. Journals of Korean literature and thought began to circulate for the first time in decades.

Notes

# Allan R. Millet, "The War for Korea: 1945-1950" (2005) P. 59
# Lee (1984, p. 374); Cumings (1997, p. 189).
# Cumings, 1997, p. 189. Nahm (1996, p. 340) gives "Eighth Army," reflecting the Corps' later affiliation.
# Nahm, Cumings, loc. cit.
# Nahm (1996, p. 351); Lee (1984, p. 375).
# Nahm (1996, p. 340).
# Lee (1984, p. 375).
# Nahm (1996, pp. 330-332); Lee (1984, p. 374).
# Nahm (1996, p. 340).
# Nahm (1996, p. 340).

References

*Kim Bong-jin. (2003). Paramilitary politics under the USAMGIK and the establishment of the ROK. "Korea Journal 43"(2), 289-322. [http://www.ekoreajournal.net/archive/detail.jsp?BACK
]

ee also

*History of South Korea
*Korea under Japanese rule
*History of Korea
*Military history of the United States
*List of Korea-related topics

External links

* [http://www.geocities.jp/korean_politics/nara.htm Unofficial list of US National Archives documents concerning USAMGIK]