Korea's Fight for Freedom

by F.A. Mckenzie

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: History

289 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 12, 2010

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

An outstanding little book written in an even handed and journalistic fashion. From an old style "Christian Democrat" or " Canadian Progressive" viewpoint , it is a fascinating account of the corrupt and inefficient nature of the old Chosen , its downfall and the subsequent Japanese annexation. The Empire of Korea was taken down not only by the ineptitude and corruption of its old ruling class, but the brilliant, brutal machinations of the Japanese military intelligence units. The sheer viciousness of the Japanese annexation and the brutality inflicted by out of control Japanese police and army units, as well as Japanese colonists, explains a lot about present day Japanese-Korean relations. The scale of the mass rapes, especially of children and teen girls, the executions, imprisonments and mass beatings , demonstrate that Japan's occupation was on par with the Nazi occupation of Poland and Greece. Seriously, it was that bad.
The book is a product of its time, using " White" instead of " European", insulting para-phrasing etc., but was surprisingly even handed. It discusses at length the Korean guerrilla war and the million or so Koreans driven into exile in Manchuria and Siberia by the Japanese land thefts.
Who knew 300+ Koreans fought in the American armies in World War One or that a Korean exiled Legion fought for Trotsky? Lastly, it discusses at length the persecution of Christian churches and missions in Korea by the Japanese. Worth reading.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author's perceptions on the world in 1920 can be nicely summed up by one of his quotes at the end:

"When you ask me if I would risk a war over Korea, I answer this: Firm action to-day might provoke conflict, but the risk is very small. Act weakly now, however, and you make a great war in the Far East almost certain within a generation. The main burden of the Western nations in such a war will be borne by America."

Mckenzie appears to have spoken the language and been well-immersed in the goings on of the country. He sees the growing threat of Japan well, as well as a lot of things that still come to debate to this day (S. Koreans pressed into prostitution, etc.). Very worth a read.

[James Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is significant in two major ways. First, it reveals the cruelty of the Japanese in their takeover of Korea around the turn of the 1900's. Secondly, it shows the type of behavior that was typical of the Japanese soldiers during World War II. Written in 1931 it should have been a signifiant warning to the Western powers about how the Japanese military operated.

The book goes into great detail about how the Japanese managed the takeover of Korea and how they managed to get rid of the rulers (who were corrupt but at least they were Korean.) The Japanese rulers tried to convince the world that what they were doing was for the good of the Koreans but, in reality, what they were doing was burning churches, murdering any Korean who got in their way, killing men, women and children and raping women, including young girls.

There was no justice at all. No freedoms at all for the Japanese controlled the papers. They could take people into their jails and torture them and beat them without even charging them with any crime at all. They reduced entire villages to ash. They considered themselves above all others.

They tried to force all Koreans into the Japanese mold especially by the use of the schools.

This is exactly the type of behavior that the Japanese showed other countries during World War II (including the time before that, 1931 onward, when they were waging war against China) did not change at all during WWII. People, especially political leaders, just never seem to learn from history. This book should have sent a loud warning about what to expect from the Japanese and their program of expansion and bringing 'the four corners of the world' under Japanese rule.

The warning, alas, went unheeded.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before reading this book and subsequent materials, I had two false assumptions:

Firstly, the Korean War and subsequent division of the country was an irrational phenomenon, only explicable as a clash of ideologies. Not only was this incorrect but unfair towards a people brought as brutally into the present by circumstances beyond their control, such as Russian peasants in the early 20th century. This book lays out the details of the situation on the ground, and serves as a harbinger of things to come nearly 30 years after it was written.

Second false assumption on my part, that the Japanese Occupation, while regrettable and repressive, was similar to other colonial operations of the time in that it modernized the country and provided social and industrial infrastructure. All that I really have to say on the matter is that the Japanese are seriously in the wrong here, and the inability and abject refusal for them to admit to the level of barbarity only alienates them more going forward. Also, this situation is just another underscore in the struggle against totalitarianism - appeasement simply does not work as a policy.