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An Overview of the March First Movement

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  1. Background β€” military rule and national self-determination

    After Korea's sovereignty was seized in 1910, Japan thoroughly suppressed Koreans' political, press, and assembly freedoms through military rule backed by the gendarmerie police. On top of this, US President Wilson's 1918 call for national self-determination and the sudden death of former Emperor Gojong in January 1919 combined to greatly heighten the desire for independence.

  2. The declaration of independence (March 1, 1919)

    On March 1, 1919, 33 national representatives including Son Byeong-hui read out a declaration of independence at Taehwagwan in Seoul, proclaiming it as the will of the nation. At the same time, students and citizens gathered at Tapgol Park, read the declaration of independence, and took to the streets shouting "Long live Korean independence."

  3. The nationwide spread of the movement

    The demonstrations that began in Seoul spread rapidly to cities and rural areas across the country, and Koreans living abroad in Manchuria, the Russian Maritime Province, and the Americas also responded in solidarity. Over roughly two months, with countless people participating nationwide, this movement was the largest-scale national movement of the entire Japanese colonial period.

  4. Japan's armed suppression

    Japan mobilized its gendarmerie and military to ruthlessly suppress unarmed demonstrators with guns and swords, even carrying out a massacre at Jeam-ri in Hwaseong, where residents were locked inside a church and burned. Yu Gwan-sun, who led the independence demonstration at the Aunae marketplace in Cheonan, was arrested and died in prison at Seodaemun Prison in 1920.

  5. A shift in governing approach (cultural rule)

    Having keenly felt the limits of military rule after the March First Movement, Japan afterward switched from the gendarmerie police system to an ordinary police system and allowed limited freedom of the press and publication, in what became known as "cultural rule." However, this had a strong character of a conciliatory tactic aimed at cultivating pro-Japanese factions to divide the Korean people.

  6. Its impact on the establishment of the Provisional Government of Korea

    As the March First Movement heightened the need for a central body to lead an organized, sustained independence movement, the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was established in Shanghai that April. In this way, the March First Movement became a decisive turning point in the direction and organization of the independence movement that followed.

The largest-scale national movement of the Japanese colonial period

The demonstration movement that began on March 1, 1919 was a nonviolent resistance movement in which the entire nation participated together, transcending class, social status, and region. Although it did not directly achieve independence due to Japan's armed suppression, it is regarded as a historic turning point that significantly changed the direction of the Korean independence movement afterward.

The March First Movement led to the establishment of the Provisional Government of Korea

National leaders, having confirmed the nation's desire for independence through the nationwide demonstration movement, keenly felt the need for an organization to lead it systematically, and this effort bore fruit with the establishment of a government in Shanghai that April. See our overview of the Provisional Government of Korea for the details.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people took part in the March First Movement?

Exact statistics vary by source, but over roughly two months, countless demonstrations took place across the country, and it is estimated that several hundred thousand or more people took part in the movement.

Why is March 1st designated as a national holiday?

Because the March First Movement is a symbol of nationwide resistance against Japan and a historic event that formed the foundation for the establishment of the Provisional Government of Korea, the Korean government designates March 1st as a national holiday every year to commemorate its spirit.