Revolutionary Army Headquarters

Lore & Background

The Korean Revolutionary Army was initially an independent army under the National People's Prefecture. In September 1929, the central council of National People's Government decided to transfer the independence army to the National Unity Party Organization Alliance (民族唯一黨組織同盟), and the command was changed. In December of that year, the National Unity Party Organizational Alliance was reorganized into the Korean Revolutionary Party (朝鮮革命黨), and the Independence Army became affiliated with it, and the Korean Revolutionary Party made its affiliated independence army independent as the 'Joseon Revolutionary Army'.

The parent body of the revolutionary army was six volunteer army units under the Righteous Government, to which 20 new units were added. At first, it was organized into 10 units and stationed in each province. When the Korean Revolutionary Army became independent in December 1929, a military committee was organized by electing representatives from each unit as the leading body of the revolutionary army. The military committee consisted of Lee Jin-tak as commander-in-chief, Yang Se-bong as deputy commander, and Lee Woong as chief of staff.

There were 10,000 troops divided by the existing 10 units were organized into 7 units. On August 8, 1930, the Central Executive Committee reorganized the Korean Revolutionary Army into a central system.

Reader's Guide

The Korean Revolutionary Army promoted Korea-China joint operations. While the Korean Independence Army formed an allied force with the Chinese army in northern Manchuria and waged an anti-Japanese battle, in southern Manchuria, the Korean Revolutionary Army under the Korean Revolutionary Party established a separate operation as a Korean-Chinese alliance and waged an anti-Japanese war. When Japan caused the September 18 Incident in 1931, the Korean Revolutionary Party realized the need to establish a joint Korean-Chinese front and consulted with the Chinese authorities with Kim Hak-gyu (金學奎) and Kim I-dae (金履大) as party representatives.

Yang Yin went to Shenyang and consulted with the Chinese People's Foreign Affairs Association and Chinese civilian leaders. The main issues discussed were the nationality of Koreans living in Korea and the joint anti-Japanese issue between Koreans and Chinese people. Hyeon Ik-cheol, chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Korean Revolutionary Party, fleshed out this discussion and created the 'Eastern-Korean Correctional Policy' and the 'Opinion on China-Korea-Korea Collaboration' to be approved by the Chinese authorities.

It was sent to, and the Chinese side enthusiastically approved it. However, before this joint operation could be concreted, discussions were halted as Hyeon Ik-cheol was arrested by the Japanese police. Moreover, in December 1931, when the officials of the Joseon Revolutionary Party and the Revolutionary Army were holding a meeting of executives in Sinbin County, they were ambushed by police and killed Lee Ho-won, Kim Kwan-woong, and Lee Jong-geon among the 30 executives in the meeting room.

The joint operation could not be promoted due to the fatal blow of the arrest of about 10 important executives, including Lee Jeong-gyeong, Jang Se-yong, Park Chi-hwa, and Lee Gyu-seong. In the meantime, mid-level executives such as Yang Ki-ha, Yang Se-bong, and Go I-heo remained unfazed and rallied their members to maintain a fighting stance. On April 20, 1932, Dang Chi-oh, Wang Yukmun, Son Suam, Jang Jong-ju, Lee Chun-yun, Wang Bong-gak, Seodaesan, etc. formed the Liaoning District National Assembly to plan an anti-Japanese campaign.

The National Assembly also had political and military committees, and Wang Yuwen was appointed as the chairman of the standing committee and political committee, and Tang Cuo was appointed as chairman of the military committee and commander-in-chief of the Liaoning People's Self-Defense Force. The Liaoning People's Self-Defense Force, an anti-Manchurian anti-Japanese armed force, has 52 headquarters under the general headquarters, including Hwanin, Tonghwa, Xinbin, Zean, Linjiang, Yuha, Bongye, Huinam, and Haeryong, Dongfeng, Westpeng, Andong, Bongseong, Cheongwon, Donggang, Changbaek, Ando, Geumcheon, Banseok, West An, Gwanjeon, and Gaewon (開原) and over 20 prefectures, and was the first anti-Japanese corps in Manchuria, commanding 200,000 troops.

The Joseon Revolutionary Party planned to build a united front with them, appointed Kim Hak-gyu as the party and military representative, and dispatched him to the National Salvation Congress. Kim Hak-gyu went to Hwaninseong and negotiated with Wang Yu-moon and Tang Cuo and agreed to form a Korea-China united front. According to this agreement, a special task force command in charge of special missions and a propaganda battalion in charge of propaganda missions were established within the Self-Defense Forces, and the Korean Revolutionary Army was responsible for both.

The special task force headquarters was located in Tonghwaseong (通化城), Yang Se-bong was appointed commander, and Kim Gwang-ok (金光玉) became the head of the propaganda battalion. In addition, the Korean Propaganda Department was established within the National Salvation Association's Propaganda Department and published Korean-language publications and newspapers 『Jobjak (合作)』. The Special Forces Command had eight special forces and carried out special operations in various parts of Manchuria and Korea, and acted as a vanguard unit in battle.

In order to recruit soldiers, the Korean Revolutionary Army Attached Military Academy was established and operated in Gangjeon, Tonghua, and 2,000 people received training. Worker-peasant training centers were opened within each special unit's jurisdiction and military training was provided to Korea's rural youth. Approximately 50,000 students who attended the training were reserve troops for the revolutionary army, and 2,000 students who graduated from the military officer academy became candidate officers for the revolutionary army.

Did You Know?

• In the Battle of Yonglinga (March 11-16, 1932), the revolutionary army defeated the Japanese army, occupying Yongling Street and the Shangxia River, with the Japanese suffering countless casualties.
• In December 1931, a meeting of executives in Sinbin County was ambushed by police, killing 3 and arresting about 10 important executives, halting joint operation plans.