Thursday, May 04, 2017

Origins of the Korean National Association
The Korean National Association was organized by Kim Hyong Jik at Haktanggol, Pyongyang, on March 23, 1917.

It was a secret organization with the aim of achieving national independence and establishing a truly civilized state through the concerted efforts of the Korean nation. Its fighting task was to enlist the broad sections of the masses in the anti-Japanese national liberation struggle by rallying them, firmly build up its organizations and drive the Japanese imperialists out and achieve the independence of the country on the strength of the Korean people themselves by taking advantage of the rivalry between the US and European forces and Japan for hegemony in the East in the future.

It drew its membership from among people from all walks of life including workers, peasants, teachers, students, soldiers (of the Independence Army), merchants, religious believers and artisans.

Its organizational network spread throughout the country–North and South Phyongan, Hwanghae, North and South Jolla, North and South Kyongsang and Kyonggi provinces–and even reached Beijing, Shanghai, Jilin, Fusong, Linjiang, Changbai, Liuhe, Kuandian, Dandong, Huadian and Xingjing in China.

At the same time as expanding its organizations, it vigorously launched information and publicity activities aimed at rousing the broad sections of the masses to the anti-Japanese struggle, and gave a strong push to raising funds and obtaining weapons needed for an armed struggle and training military cadres.

Some organizations were exposed in the autumn of 1917, and over 100 members of the association were arrested, but it was restored rapidly thanks to the energetic activities of Kim Hyong Jik.

It held a meeting in November 1918 and then in July 1919 at Chongsudong in Korea, and a meeting in August 1919 in Kuandian and a meeting in August 1925 in Fusong, China. At those meetings it advanced new fighting policies and tasks for its subordinate organizations and their members. To implement these tasks, it organized and launched enlightening of the masses and military activities by armed corps.

It was one of the largest underground anti-Japanese, revolutionary organizations at home and abroad which the Korean patriots formed before and after the March First Popular Uprising.

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