Father's belief in communist movement

hope in communism in light of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia. The March First fiasco convinced him

that we must change our nationalist movement into communist revolution. Father argued for toilers'

revolution at the Chung-su Conference in July 1919. He convened a conference of the Korean People's

Association cadres, liaison officers and leaders of other nationalist organization in August at Hongtong-

gu, China. At the conference, Father expounded his belief in transforming our nationalist movement into

communist movement. He emphasized that the movement must defeat the Japanese imperialists by our

own power, adapting to the prevailing world situations and work to build a society that protect the

proletariat.

Formulating concrete steps to go from nationalist movement to communist movement was one of my

father's achievements in our struggle for independence. Father explained his idea of proletarian

revolution is to build a new society wherein those without food are given rice and those with nothing to

wear are given clothes. He awakened workers, peasants and other toilers by setting examples; he united

various organizations and groups into a united front and nurtured it into a powerful organ of revolution..

Father advocated that petitions and diplomacy would not bring us freedom and we must rely on military

forces to gain freedom. He began to organize new military organizations. Father wanted to train

nationalistic youth from farming families on military tactics and leadership and to indoctrinate the

existing military leaders and junior officers. They would form the core of a new army of workers and

peasants. Father dispatched members of the Korean People's Association to various military organization

to spread his new military doctrine; he directed arms procurements and education of military officers.

Father endeavored to unite military groups. At the time, there were many groups competing to expand

and this was the most agonizing defect of our independence movement to my father. In Kan-do and

Siberia, there were a host of armed Korean camps. Almost every day, a new "Korean Society", "Korean

Freedom Corps", "Korea Corp" and so on popped up. There were at least 20 of such armed groups in

southern Manchuria alone. They might have achieved something significant, if they got together and

coordinated their actions. But the fact of the matter is that they betrayed each other and vied for

dominance.

Father feared that this sad situation, if continued, would alienate the Korean people and help Japanese

wipe out the camps. Father learned that Korean Independence Youth Corp and Kwangje Youth Corp

were at each other's throat; he rushed to Kwangje and called on the leaders to bury the hatchet and work

together for common cause. Thanks to Father, Hong-up Corps, Gung-bi Corps and other armed groups

in the Yenan-Yalu region merged into a united national army.

Transforming extant armed groups into a people's army of workers and peasants and embarking on the

road of communist revolution was one of Father's agenda. This new direction would help unite the armed

groups and minimize contentious rifts amongst them. Father worked tirelessly to redirect our military

activities until the day he died. He was struck down with an incurable disease. After Father's

announcement of the new direction at the Kwanjun Conference, ideological splits among the nationalists

intensified. Even among those who had supported Father's plan when he was alive deserted after his

death. Some of them were captured by the Japanese, some became turncoats, and others scattered away.

Few took up the banner of revolution when Father fell. The conservatives in the nationalist camp built walls around them and kept to their old ways; but many progressive leaders chose the new way and later

joined in our communist revolution.

Father's belief in communist movement provided much needed nourishments for my growth