- for much of its history → Korean Peninsula → controlled by neighbouring countries → like China and Japan → partly because of its strategic position in East Asia
Japan → was rising power in Asia → in late 19th and early 20th centuries → aggressively extending its control over the region.
- 1905 → Korea became a protectorate of Japan
- 1910 → Japan annexed Korea
Japanese → ruled Korea → with iron fist.
- Police + military → had total power → Koreans had very few rights.
→ there was great deal of resentment towards Japanese.
- though it was difficult + dangerous to oppose Japanese rule → some Koreans resisted
Despite crushing resistance movements brutally → Japanese continued to fight against them through 1920s and 1930s.
- still it proved impossible to undermine Japanese control of Korea
Resistance to Japanese rule → intensified with outbreak of WWII.
- some resistance movements → had support of communists in China and USSR.
- resistance groups → were courageous + committed → but still failed → to make much of an impact on Japanese rule.
With differing aims and ambitions for an independent Korea → different groups were deeply divided.
One resistance group → led by Kim II Sung → particularly important.
- Kim was deeply committed communist → who had been trained in political and military thinking in the USSR.
- His forces → fought tenacious guerrilla war → against the Japanese → until they were forced to flee to communist controlled areas → in China → 1939
- this struggle → proved to be important later → helped Kim gain support of North Koreans after war
As WWII neared end in 1945 → Japanese were facing defeat → by allies. leaders of allies → met at Potsdam Conference, July-Aug 1945
- agreed that Korea should eventually be given full independance.
- did not specify what form this independance would take
Allies agreed → that once Japanese defeated → Korea would be temporarily occupied → until arrangements for new govt could be put in place . US forces → would govern southern part of Korea Soviet troops → govern northern part of Korea. dividing line would be the 38th parallel