The elite of Korea

The elite of Korea who organized and led the March First Movement failed to see this lesson from

history. The March leaders erroneously opted for non-violent marches, totally ignoring the people's

burning desires for action. All they accomplished was to publish a declaration of independence, that

gained precious little for the Korean people. They did not want the people to go beyond peaceful

demonstrations.

Some of the leaders believed that Korea could be freed by sending petitions to other nations. They took

and swallowed US President Woodrow Wilson's "Doctrine of Self Determination" and expected the

United States and other Western Powers to pressure Japan into freeing Korea. They wrote petition after

petition, becoming laughing stocks of the imperialists. Kim Gyu Sik and associates begged and pleaded

with representatives of the imperialist nations, who were more keen on grabbing more colonies for

themselves than freeing any colony.

It was a mistake for those Korean leaders to take Wilson's self-determination doctrine at its face value.

The so-called doctrine was nothing but an American ruse to counter the October Revolution in Russia

and to dominate the world. The American imperialists used the doctrine to stir up divisive forces in the

Soviet Union and prevent it from assisting colonies fighting for independence. The doctrine was also a

scheme to take over colonies of the nations defeated in World War I.

Early in the 20th Century, the United Stated signed Kazra-Taft Treaty whereby Japan was given a free

hand in Korea. To expect America to pressure Japan to give up Korea was ludicrous. There is no record

of any strong nation helping a week nation, presenting its people with freedom and independence. A

nation's nationhood can be maintained or regained only by the people. This is a truth proven throughout

the history. During the Russo-Japanese War and the Portsmouth Kangwha Conference, King Kojong

dispatched emissaries to the United States and pleaded US help in keeping Korea independent. The fact

of the matter is that the United States sided with Japan during the Russo-Japanese War and did

everything it could to ensure Japanese victory. After the war, the United States in effect negotiated on

behalf of Japan and injected issues favorable to Japan. US President Theodore Roosevelt refused to

accept King Kojong's letters claiming that they were not 'official' documents.

King Kojong dispatched secret envoys to Hague Peace Conference. Kojong declared that the Korea-

Japan Ulsa Agreement of 1905 was illegal, void and null. He appealed to the world conscience and

humanitarianism, believing that Korea would be helped doing so. The Japanese countered Kojong's

moves with false propaganda and other world powers ignored the King's pleas. The emissaries suffered

tearful rejection after rejection by the delegates. Because of the secret emissaries, Japan forced King

Kojong to abdicate and his son Sunjong ascended the throne.

The Hague emissary fiasco was a loud warning bell that shook the very foundation of Korea's feudal

ruling class, rooted deep in toadyism (

Lee Wha Rang note: sah-dae ju-i - worship of the powerful; also,

flunkeyism

). Lee Jun, Kojong's secret emissary, cut his stomach open at the Hague Peace Conference

and stained the conference hall red with his Korean blood; it is a tragic lesson that Korea should not 

count on other nations for independence, because they did not care. In spite of this sad lesson, some of

our nationalist leaders clung to the naive notion that the United States, with its 'doctrine of self

determination' would free Korea; it shows how toadish they were; how deep-rooted their pro-

Americanism was.