Chronology: The Pre-War Korean Anarchist Movement

1919.2.8 — Japan
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATED: Tokyo Conference of Assoc. of Japan Korean Students in declares Korean independence in name of ‘Young Koreans’ Independence League’.

1919.3.1 — Korea
DITTO: at Kyong Sung Dae Wha Park, Seoul, the Declaration is read out; further reading at meeting of students and others at Tab Dong Kong Park marks start of Manse (Long Life) movement.

1919.4.17 — China
PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED: Provisional Government of Republic of Korea established in Shanghai; President Syngman Rhee.

1919.11 — Manchuria
‘BAND OF HEROES’ (ElYULDAN) FORMED: at Husain Men-wai, Kirin Province, new group formed to fight for national liberation; members mostly anarchists and nationalists.

1920.6 — Korea
FIRST ‘BAND OF HEROES’ INCIDENT: Pyungnam local government office; Shin Eiju station; Pusan and Milyang police stations; Korean Governor-Gene-ral’s office; Chongro police station; Dongchuk and Kyum I iron works all simultaneously exploded or bombed by members of the ‘Band of Heroes’.

1920.10.19–22 — Manchuria
BATTLE OF CH’ING-SHAN-LI: Korean Independence Army under anarchist general Kim Joa-jin wipes out entire division of Japanese Imperial Army.

1921.11.29 — Japan
BLACK CURRENT SOCIETY (KOKUTOKAI) FORMED: Socialists among Koreans in Japan form this new anarchist group in Tokyo; main figure Park Yul.

1922.9.7 — Japan
SHINANOGAWA MURDER CASE: Korean and Japanese activists organize joint conference to protest atrocities against Koreans in Japan.

1923.2 — Japan
BLACK FELLOWSHIP ASSOCIATION (KOKUYÜKAI) FORMED: first all-anarchist body among Koreans in Japan; main figures Lee Si-woo, Chang Soung-chung, Kim Kun.

1923.5 — Japan
SOCIETY OF REBELS (FUTEISHA) FORMED: new anarchist group; main figures Park Yul, Ryuk Hong-kwun, Choi Kyu-chong.

1923.8 — Japan
BLACK LABOUR ASSOCIATION (KOKURÕKAI) FORMED: first anarchist labour union among Koreans in Japan; main figure Lee Kang-ri.

1923.9.10 — Japan
PARK YUL INCIDENT: massacre of Koreans following Great Kanto Earthquake; Park Yul and ten other Korean anarchists, with Kaneko Ayako and three other Japanese anarchists arrested on false charge of planning to-kill Japanese Emperor; Park and Kaneko given death penalty.

1925.3.10 — Manchuria
‘NEW PEOPLE’S GOVERNMENT’ FORMED: Korean anarchists Kim Joann, Choung Shin, others help organize commune among Korean refugees.

1925.4.17 — Korea
BLACK FLAG ALLIANCE (HEUK KI YUN MAENG) FORMED: first nationwide anarchist organization in Korea itself established in Seoul; main figures Seo O-sun, Seo Sang-kang, Lee Chang-shik.

1925.4.18 — Korea
TRUE FRIENDS’ ALLIANCE (JIN WU RYONG MONG) FORMED: new, powerful anarchist group established in Taegu by Shin Jae-mo, Bang Han-sang, Choung Myong-kun, others.

1926.4 — Korea
TRUE FRIENDS’ ALLIANCE INCIDENT: on charges of planning to assassinate Japanese citizens and blow up government offices Japanese authorities arrest entire Alliance membership including two Japanese, Kurihara & Ryakumoto.

1926.4.5 — Japan
BLACK MOVEMENT SOCIETY (KOKUSHOKU UNDÕ SHA) FORMED: plans to form blanket organization for all Korean anarchists in Japan launched by Won Sim-chang.

1926.9.10 — Japan
EASTERN WORKERS’ ALLIANCE (TÕKÕ RÕDÕ DÕMEI) FORMED: in Tokyo Choi Nak- chong, Choi Hak-ju, Yang Il-dong and others form most powerful organization of Korean workers in Japan at that time.

1926.9.10 — Japan
BLACK BATTLE-FRONT (KOKUSHOKU SENSEN) FORMED: Society of Rebels renames itself, begins to publish ‘Black Friend’ (Kokuyü) newspaper.

1927.2 — China
MEETING OF JOINT CONFERENCE OF OPPRESSED PEOPLES OF THE EAST: Korean delegates to this conference in Nanking are ‘anarchists Yoo Ja-myong, others.

1927.2.22 — Japan
CASUAL WORKERS’ UNION (JIYÜ RÕDÕSHA KUMIAI) FORMED: the first union among Korean casual labourers in Japan; organized by anarchists Mun Seong-hun, Lee Si-woo, 0 Seong-mun, others.

1927.2.22 — Korea
KWANG SOH BLACK FELLOWSHIP ASSOCIATION FORMED: a Pyongyang organization designed to unify separate groups like Hanju Casual Labourers’ Union, Pyongyang General Workers’ Union, Social Livelihood Study Society, Free Youth Association, Village Movement Society etc; main figures Lee Hong-kun, Choi Kap-ryong, Lee Ju-seong.

1927.5.7 — Korea
DANJU BLACK FELLOWSHIP ASSOCIATION FORMED: alliance of Danju Black Fellowship Society, Danju Shin Heung Youth Alliance, Sun Duk Shin Heung,Youth Group, Kwangduk Tenants’ Union, etc; main figures Jo Chung-bok, Kim Nak-ku, Kim Chul.

1928.1.15 — Japan
LEAGUE OF FREE YOUTH (JIYÜ SEINEN REMMEI) FORMED: main figure Han Ha-yun.

1928.1.15 — Japan
BLACK FELLOWSHIP ALLIANCE (KOKUYÜ REMMEI) FORMED: main figures Won Sim- chang, Lee Dong-sun, Cheong Tae-seoung.

1928.2 — Japan
BLACK FELLOWSHIP ASSOCIATION INCIDENT: Mutual Love Society (Sang Ae Hoi), reactionary pro-Japanese Korean group, leads police to raid HQ of Black Fellowship Association and Black Fellowship Alliance.

1928.3.21 — China
LEAGUE OF EASTERN ANARCHISTS (TUNG-FANG WU-CHENG-FU CHU-I-CHE LIEN-MENG) FORMED: Korean anarchists in China meet in Nanking to form this organization, the first of its kind; main participants Yoo Ja-myung, Lee Jung-kyu, Lee Eul-kyu, Baek Chung-kee, Shin Chae-ho, Chung Hwa-am.

1928.6.7 — Japan
STUDENTS’ CLUB (GAKUYÜKAI) INCIDENT: Korean anarchists Won Sim-chang, Lee Si-woo, Han Ha-yun, Yang Sang-ki and others attack Gakuy5kai, communist-sponsored organization of Korean students in Japan,; fierce dispute follows between anarchism and bolshevism.

1929.4 — Korea
ANJU BLACK FELLOWSHIP ASSOCIATION FORMED.

1929.7 — Manchuria
GENERAL LEAGUE OF KOREANS (HANJOK CHONGRYONG HAPHOI) FORMED: all Korean anarchists in Manchuria, including Kim Joa-jin, Kim Wan-jin, Lee Hae-bung Lee Eul-kyu, meet at Nan-tla-kuan-a-chleng to form a new commune-type organization.

1929.11.3 — KOREA
KWANGJU STUDENTS INCIDENT: trouble involving rival Korean and Japanese school students in Kwangju develops into nationwide patriotic student movement; 54,000 students in 194 schools strike, creating anti-Japan movement which continues until March 1930.

1930.1 — MANCHURIA
Anarchist organizer of Chong-yi Bu commune, Kim Joa-jin, murdered by communist agent.

1930.4 — CHINA
League of Eastern Anarchists (Tung-fang Wu-cheng-fu Chu-i-che Lien-meng) reorganized as South China Korean Youth League (Nan Hua Han-jen Ch’ing-nien Lien-meng); principal members: Chong Hwa-am, Kim Ji-gang, Park Kee-seung, Lee Eul-kyu, Hwang Eung, Yoo Ja-myong, Park Kee-byeung, Ryu San-bang, Lee Yong-kyu, Kim Kwang-ju, An Kyong-kun.

1930.5.30 — JAPAN
Anarchist Youth League (Anăkisuto Seinen Remei), Eastern Workers’ Federation (Tőhő Rődő Dőmei) formed in Osaka by Lee Mee-haek, Kim Yong-su.

1930.6 — JAPAN
Black Flag Workers’ League (Kurohata Rődősha Remmei) formed; Chung Chan-jin main figure.

1931.1 — MANCHURIA
Korean People’s Self-Governing Joint Council (Han-jok Cha-ji Ryong-hap-hoe) formed, chaired by anarchist Chong Shin-won.

1931.7.11 — MANCHURIA
Leader of Korean anarchist partisans, Kim Jong-jin, murdered by communist agent; total of six Korean anarchists murdered in 1930 and 1931.

1931.7 — KOREA
KOREAN ANARCHO-COMMUNIST LEAGUE (Cho-sun Mu-chung-bu Kong-san Zu-ui-ja Ryong-myung) INCIDENT: Japanese authorities clamp down on few anarchists remaining in Korea in attempt at ‘final solution’: Ryu Hwa-yong, Choi Kap-ryong, Lee Hong-kun, Kang Chang-gi, An Bong-yong, Cho Tsung-bok, Rin Tsung-hak, Kim Dae-hwan, others, arrested.

1932.1.8 — JAPAN
In front of the Imperial Palace’s Sakurada Gate, Korean anarchist Lee Pang-chang hurls bomb at Japanese emperor’s car returning from military review.

1932.4.29 — CHINA
Korean anarchist Yun Pang-gil hurls bomb into Japanese emperor’s official birthday celebrations in Hung-k’ou Park, Shanghai; General Shirakawa, several civil, military officials killed, hurt.

1933.3.15 — CHINA
Assassination attempt in Shanghai on Japanese Minister to China Ariyoshi; 3 Korean anarchists, Paek Chung-kee, Won Sim-chang, Lee Gang-hyon arrested.

1933.3 — KOREA
DAI-ICHI RO INCIDENT: police raid Chinese restaurant where reconstruction of anarchist movement in Korea is being discussed; anarchists Chae Yin-kok, 0 Nam-gi, Choi Hak-ju, Lee Jung-kyu, Lee Eul-kyu, others, arrested.

1934.1.21 — JAPAN
KOREAN GENERAL WORKERS’ UNION (CHOSEN IPPAN RŐDŐ KUMIAI) FORMED: Korean Casual Labourers’ Union (Chosen Jiyü Rődősha Kumiai) reorganized; main figures Lee Kyu-uk, Lee Chong-mun, Lee Yun-hee, Lee Chong-shik, Chong Kwang-shin, An Heung-ok, 0 U-yong.

1934.5.1 — JAPAN
While reactionary elements participate in National Foundation Day celebrations held same day, total of 289 Korean anarchists, 298 ‘Bolsheviks’, jointly organize boisterous May Day rally.

1935.10.11 — JAPAN
After Japanese universities decide to discontinue use of Korean language in teaching, Korean students, graduates in Japan resolve to launch opposition movement.

1935.11.4 — JAPAN
JAPAN ANARCHO-COMMUNIST PARTY (NIPPON MUSEIFU-KYŐSANSHUGI TŐ) INCIDENT: terrorist party formed in 1933; spies reveal its plans to the police, several Korean anarchists, Lee Dong-sun, Han Kuk-tang, Lee Chong-mun, Chin Rok-chul arrested.

Autumn 1937 — CHINA
KOREAN REVOLUTIONISTS’ LEAGUE (CH’AO-HSIEN KO-MING-CHE LIEN-MENG) FORMED: Chong Hwa-am, Yoo Ja-myong, other Korean anarchists take part in broad anti-Japanese front following the full-scale invasion of China.