Korean Provisional Government

[Anchor Lead]

The Korean provisional government was relocated multiple times across China over 27 years since its establishment in Shanghai in 1919. It also joined hands with the U.S. forces to prepare an operation to expel the Japanese from Seoul shortly before Korea's liberation from Japan. Here's a look at the tumultuous 27-year history of the Korean provisional government.

[Pkg]

Korea's first democratic government established in Shanghai… The very first head of state was Doctor Rhee Syng-man, while the post of police minister was taken by politician Kim Koo. Following a heroic deed of independence activist Yoon Bong-gil, the provisional government widely publicized Korea's resolve to achieve independence. To avoid retaliation from Japanese colonists, the provisional government was relocated to Hangzhou, where it trained military personnel to build a foundation for an armed struggle against Japan. That is also when Kim Koo, who was in exile outside of Hangzhou at the time, devised his plan for anti-Japanese resistance.

[Soundbite] Su Meijuan(Kim Koo's Guide) : "Kim Koo drafted many documents here. He devised a plan for the future of the Korean provisional government."

Afterwards, the provisional government was relocated to Changsha, Guangzhou and then again to Liuzhou. It finally reached its prime when it was based in Chongqing. Then, the Korean Liberation Army headed by General Ji Cheong-cheon was founded. In 1942, independence activist Kim Won-bong founded the Korean Volunteers Unit. By 1945 it had more than one thousand troops.

[Soundbite] Prof. Sun Kezi(Fudan University, Shanghai, China) : "The Liberation Army made the provisional government a government in exile in the true sense of the word, and contributed greatly to the fight against imperialism."

The only thing that was left was the Seoul operation, but just then the Japanese surrendered all of a sudden. Kim Koo was frustrated that his long-time preparation to crush the Japanese had been in vain. Afterwards, the members of the provisional government returned in Korea one by one, while the Liberation Army was disbanded in June 1946.