Chronology of Major Events in Korea: 1900 - 1955 


February 23, 1904: Japan-Korean Agreement of Mutual Cooperation signed

August 22, 1904: The First Japan-Korea Pact signed.

June 1906: Choe Ik Hyon and Shin Dol Suk organized people's revolt, yi-byong (the righteous army) against the Japanese influence in Korea.  They were followed by many others throughout Korea.

June 1907: Korean Government sent a secret emissary to the Hague conference of nations. The New Korea-Japan agreement was signed.

October 24, 1909: Ahn Joong Goon killed Ito Hirobumi, in Harbin. Ito was Japan's principal architect of her Korea policy.

March 26, 1910: Ahn was executed at Yeh-sun prison.

August 22, 1910: Lee Wan Yong signed the Korea-Japan annexation agreement.

May 1913: Ahn Chang Ho and others formed the Korea Resurrection League, Hung-sah-dang.

January 1915: Suh Sang Il and others formed the Korean Independence League, chosen gook-kwon hoe-bok-dang.

October 1917: Park Yong Man represented Korea at the World Conference on Small Nations in New York.

November 1918: Yo Uong Yong, representing the New Korea Youth League, met  Crane, a special envoy of President Woodrow Wilson.

February 8, 1919: 600 Koreans, studying in Tokyo, Japan, published declaration of Korean independence.

March 1, 1919: Mass marches in Korea for independence.  The Provisional Government of Korea was established in Shanghai.

August 1919: Hong Bum Do began guerrilla war against the Japanese.

October 20, 1920: Kim Jwa Jin, Ji Chung Chun and Hong Bom Do defeated Japanese at the Chung-san-ri battle.  

January 23, 1922: Kim Gyu Sik and others attended the Far East Workers' conference in Moscow.

September 1923: An earthquake destroyed Tokyo and the Koreans in Japan were blamed for the calamity and massacred.

April 17, 1925: Kim Jae Bong and Cho Bong Ahm formed the Seoul Communist Party.

November 27, 1925: Park Hyon Young and Kim Yak Soo became the first Korean communists to be jailed.

December 28, 1926: Raj Suk Joo of Yiyoldang bombed the Siksan Bank and Asia Development Corp buildings. 

March 1926: Kim Goo, Lee Dong Young and Lee Si Young established the Korean Independence Party, in Shanghai.

November 3, 1929: The Kwangju Students March for independence.

January 1932: Lee Bong Chang attempted to kill Emperor Hirohito.

April 29, 1932: Yun Bong Gil bombed Japanese officials at a ceremony at Honkow Park, Shanghai.

July 5, 1935: A united front, People's Revolutionary Party, was formed in Nanjing, China.

May 1937: Kim Il Sung's Korean People's Revolutionary Army attacked Japanese installations at Pochonbo, Kapsan county.

October 1938: Japan decreed that Koreans could serve in the Japanese army.

February 1940: Japan decreed that Koreans must use two-letter family names, identifying family origins.

September 1941: The Provisional Government of Korea declared war on Japan.

October 1943: Japan decreed conscription law for Korean students.

May 1944: the first group of Korean comfort women was formed.

August 14, 1945: Yo Ung Young met Abe, the Japanese viceroy of Korea and agreed to take over power.

August 15, 1945: Japan surrendered.

September 1945: Gun Joon procalimed the Korean People's Republic, Chosen Inmin Gongwha Gook.

September 2, 1945: 38th Parallel was drawn and Korea was divided.

September 7, 1945: US Far East Command established a military government in South Korea.

October 10, 1945: Kim Il Sung established the North Korean branch of Korean Communist Party.

November 11, 1945: Cho Man Sik established the Democratic Party of Korea, chosen minju dang.

November 23, 1945: Kim Gu and associates returned home from China.

December 28, 1945: The US, the USSR and Great Britain foreign ministers agreed on tutelage of Korea.

January 2, 1946: Communist Party of Korea accepted the Moscow agreement.

February 14, 1946: Rhee Syngman, Kim Gu and Kim Gyu Sik formed Democratic Council of South Korea, Nam-chosen-minju-yi-won, to support the US military government of Korea.

March 6, 1946: Kim Il Sung carried out land reform in North Korea - "land to those who till it".

August 7, 1946: United front of left and right established in South Korea. Communist party and democratic party were merged into Workers Party of Korea in North Korea.

August 8, 1946: Kim Il Sung nationalized key economic sectors.

September 7, 1946: US military issued arrest warrants to communist leaders in South Korea. Park Hyong Young and Lee gang Gook escaped to North Korea.

October 1, 1946: Taegu uprising.

December 2, 1946: Rhee Syngman toured the US promoting a separate government in South Korea.

March 1, 1947: Leftist and rightists groups commemorating the March First clashed in Seoul.

July 18, 1947: Yo Ung Young assassinated.

December 16, 1947: Kim Il Sung carried out currency reform in North Korea

February 7, 1948: Uprisings started in South Korea against establishing a separate government.

April 3, 1948: The Cheju uprising started.

April 19, 1948: Kim Gu and Kim Gyu Sik met Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang

May 10, 1948: Unilateral elections were held in South Korea.

August 15, 1948: Republic of Korea established and the US military government was dissolved.

August 25, 1948: General elections were held in North Korea.

September 9, 1948: Democratic People's Republic of Korea was established in North Korea.

October 19, 1948: Yosu-Sunchun army mutiny started.

January 8, 1949: Pro-Japanese investigation committee, ban-min-tuk-wi, was formed in Seoul.

May 20, 1949: National congress revolted against Rhee Syngman.

June 21, 1949: Rhee Syngamn announced a land reform plan.

June 29, 1949: Kim Gu was assassinated.

June 30, 1949: US troops out of Korea, a 500-men military advisory group remained.

March 27, 1950: Kim Sang Ryon and Lee Chu Ha, key communist leaders, were captured in South Korea.

June 25, 1950: Korean War began.

June 28, 1950: Seoul fell.

September 15, 1950: Inchon landing.

October 25, 1950: Chinese troops in Korea.

December 1950: 500,000 North Korean refugees

February 11, 1951: South Korean troops massacre civilians at Guh-chang.

March 5, 1951: Rhee gave land to poor farmers.

April 11, 1951: Douglas MacArthur was fired.

June 18, 1953: Rhee freed anti-communist POWs.

July 27, 1953: Truce agreement was signed.

May 5, 1956: Sin Ik Hi died suddenly while campaigning for the presidency.

January 13, 1958:  Presidential candidates of the Progressive Party, Cho Bong Ahm and seven associates, were arrested on charge of espionage.

March 3, 1958: Kim Il Sung purged Kim Du Bong.

March 15, 1960: Rhee and company won a rigged election and triggered students uprisings.

April 26, 1960: Rhee was forced out of office by students supported by the military.