PlayInfoBox

Home /Education /An Overview of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea

An Overview of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea

Click on an entry to see the details.

  1. Its establishment in Shanghai (1919)

    Immediately after the March First Movement, several provisional governments were established at home and abroad, and these were consolidated in September 1919 to launch as the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai. The provisional government proclaimed a democratic republic and elected Syngman Rhee as its first president.

  2. The goals and structure of the provisional government

    The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea set independence from Japan and the establishment of a democratic republic as its goals, and established a three-branch system of separation of powers β€” a provisional legislative assembly (legislative), a state council (executive), and courts (judicial). This carries great significance as Korea's first modern government organization aiming for a republic rather than a monarchy.

  3. The Yi Bong-chang and Yun Bong-gil bombings

    In 1932, Yi Bong-chang threw a bomb at the Japanese emperor's procession in Tokyo, and that same year, Yun Bong-gil threw a bomb at Japanese military generals in Hongkou Park in Shanghai, killing and wounding many. Both were actions of the Korean Patriotic Corps, led by Kim Gu, and they reignited international attention on the then-stagnant provisional government and independence movement.

  4. Multiple relocations of its headquarters

    As Japanese surveillance and suppression intensified after Yun Bong-gil's bombing, the provisional government had to repeatedly relocate, leaving Shanghai and passing through Hangzhou, Zhenjiang, Changsha, Guangzhou, Liuzhou, and Qijiang before settling in Chongqing in 1940. This process illustrates just how difficult the conditions were under which the provisional government maintained its continuity.

  5. The founding of the Korean Liberation Army

    After settling in Chongqing, the provisional government established the Korean Liberation Army, a regular military force, in 1940, and joined the Allied forces in the fight against Japan. The Korean Liberation Army operated alongside British forces on the India-Burma front, and while preparing a plan to advance into Korea itself, it was unable to carry this out due to Japan's surrender in 1945.

  6. Debate over the government's succession after liberation

    The Republic of Korea government, established in 1948, explicitly states in the preamble to its constitution that it succeeds the legitimacy of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. Scholars offer varying assessments of whether the provisional government fully carried out actual state functions, but its historical significance as the central pillar of the independence movement and the root of Korea's democratic republic is widely recognized.

A government-in-exile that carried on for 27 years

From its establishment in Shanghai in 1919 until Korea's liberation in 1945, the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea continued serving as the central pillar of the independence movement for nearly 27 years, despite having to relocate its base multiple times. Today, the Republic of Korea government formally succeeds the provisional government's legitimacy through its constitution.

The flow of modern history after the provisional government, leading to the Korean War

The provisional government's legitimacy carried through to the establishment of the Republic of Korea government in 1948, but this also left behind the further challenge of the division of the Korean Peninsula, which led to the nation's greatest tragedy β€” war β€” in 1950. See our overview of the Korean War for the details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was the first president of the provisional government?

When the unified provisional government was established in 1919, Syngman Rhee was elected as its first president. The provisional government subsequently reorganized its structure multiple times, going through various leadership systems including a premiership system and a chairmanship system.

Did the Korean Liberation Army actually take part in combat?

The Korean Liberation Army operated alongside British forces on the India-Burma front, and also prepared, together with the United States, a plan to advance into Korea. However, Japan surrendered just before the operation was to be carried out, so a full-scale advance into Korea never took place.