Essay 4: A Singular National Party Movement
July 3rd, 1926
Everything seems meaningless. Although I was not a skeptic, but I’m quite not sure about my self now. It has been 5
years since 3·1 movement exuded it's high-minded voice,
and The Republic of Korea's Temporary Government has established. However, I
was unable to let my self being saturated in sentimentalism, because I knew
that Japanese would not stay calm. After the movement, they have changed their
way of govern. The rate of police department, units and budgets increased more
than 3 times. A fake local autonomy system was used to deceive people and to
sustain the pro-japanese group’s benefits. The major
media was almost thoroughly distorted by a censorship system. A torture and
violence was still prevailing, but only thing that changed was an international
sentiment. Japan succeeded to suppress all the cruel facts.
Even worse, outside of the country where I’m staying now; Shang-Hai faced more frustrating problem. Division of
Korea’s Temporary Government occurred. This is due to
leaders’ three different ideology to achieve
independence. Sung Man Lee has cut the Soviet’s
financial aid and published a national bond in America, to lead Temporary
Government as a pro-America party. However, because it failed, Dong Hwee Lee,
the one of the leader questioned against Seung Man Lee’s
presidential position. Seung Man Lee ignored it, so Dong Hwee Lee broke away
from the government, and so do Chang Ho Ahn.
Though I came here to evade Japan’s
hard inspection and dedicate all my life for effective resistant, but I’m now just worried about family in home Korea. Leaders forgot what
we should fight for. We should fight for our nation’s
earliest possible independent, not the specific political belief or theory. I’m done with this thoughtless activists. I’m
going to move into my country tommorow.
July 5th, 1926
Like a proverb “The night is
darkest before the dawn”, today I found mere hope in
the deepest despair. I was participating at 3·1 party’s address, to say good-bye to my admiring fellows. I thought
counting on abroad movement is waste of time. Suddenly, Chang Ho Ahn appeared
and gave a speech. He said,
“Now, we people are
arguing each one’s own opinion saying, Let’s do our revolution as a communism! or anarchism! or monarchism!
However, we should not struggle with each other but take an agreed movement
after establishing ‘The Great Revolutionary
Organization’ with the determination to achieve
national revolution. In other words, we should not follow our own benefits but
fight for the big revolution party to save our people!”
Applause bursted after he finished his words, and the crowd was
completely absorbed by the passion and sense of unity. After the conference,
every participants who have diversity of political color gathered together and
have discussion for all day.
I was able to find my comrades who share the same idea with mine. I can
not acknowledge the activists who cannot gather their power because of the
ideological difference. The way how should independence accomplished is
important, but not much important as independence it self. I agreed with his
idea that in this circumstance, the most consequential thing is to establish an
united organization that can replace powerless Temporary Government.
My body is exhausted now, but my mind is clear than ever. I might have a
dream about my family tonight.
September 6th, 1926
After I received a telegraph saying that my wife is very sick, I
instantly went back to Korea. It was so sudden, so I could not write a diary at
the moment. I was roughly close to see the unification of this area’s resistance organization. Despite of the fact that I
was not at the event, but I’m encouraged by effectively
reinforced national movement through the integration.
February 15th, 1927
It has been almost 8 month since I came back to Korea. My wife is
completely cured, and my personal affair became stable. I eventually met some
people in the pub who are talking about the three department unification
movement. They expressed their excitement about combination between Communists
and Nationalists. I joined their conversation carefully and said that I was
involved in that movement in Shang-Hai. After a minute, they asked me few
questions and told me to come here again at march 6th, and leaved the pub.
For I can not go abroad because Japan’s
inspection was reinforced, thus I felt a need to establish an integration
movement inside of the country too. I guess this might be the chance to
strengthen domestic activist’s network system.
February 13th, 1928
Now a days, New Root Assembly’s
scale became enormous. We are structured with nearly 40,000 members who are
from Chosun Youth Total Alliance, Chosun Farmer Total Alliance, Chosun Laborer
Total Alliance and so on. Our general principle is,
First, We deny all kinds of
opportunism.
Second, We stimulate political economical awakening.
Third, We intense the solidarity.
We are exhibiting a public lecture in every area in this country, to
enlighten people to fight against Japan, and to inspire patriotism. We also fight
for a tenant right and support the alliance absence from school.
I hope that this organization yield both social psychological and
independence and political awakening to our nation’s people. Whatever the form is, we should not make any
kinds of compromise with Japan, especially like joining to self-government
movement. We should be prudent on this kind of objects to not be deceived. We
will never surrender until the day when our people hold their own sovereignty
and govern themselves by democratic spirit come.
