Cho Man-sik
Encyclopedia
Cho Man-sik (1 February 1883 – October? 1950) was an activist in Korea's independence movement
. He became involved in the power struggle that enveloped North Korea
in the months following the Japanese surrender
after World War II
, but was eventually forced from power by the Soviet-backed communists in the north. Placed under house arrest
in 1946, he later disappeared into the North Korean prison system, where he is generally believed to have been executed.
. In his youth he was an activist within Korea's Christian community
, but after Japan's annexation of Korea
in 1910 he became increasingly involved with his country's independence movement
. His participation in the 1919 Sam-Il protest marches
led to his arrest and detention, along with tens of thousands of other Koreans. After his release, he dedicated himself to non-violent resistance to the occupation, a stance which earned him the epithet "The Gandhi of Korea". He advocated a principle of self-sufficiency
for the nation, and formed the Korean Products Promotion Society, intended to encourage Koreans to buy home-produced goods and so instil a sense of nationalism.
and asked to organise a committee to assume control and maintain stability in the power vacuum that would inevitably follow. He agreed to co-operate, and formed governing councils throughout the north; they generally being composed of right-wing nationalists
opposed to communism
. The Soviet Union
arrived in Pyongyang in the days following the Japanese surrender, bringing with them the Korean communist Kim Il-sung
, who had trained in the Soviet army for ten years, rising to the rank of captain. Under Soviet pressure, Cho was obliged to reorganise his party, and accept more communists onto the councils. The opposing ideologies of Kim and Cho led to a clash between the two men, and the forced power-sharing failed to sit well with either of them.
The 1945 Moscow Conference
between the victorious Allied powers discussed the statehood of Korea, proposing a four-power trusteeship for a period of five years, after which Korea would become an independent state. For Cho, this would result in excessive foreign, and particularly communist, influence over his country, and he refused to co-operate. A final straw came in January 1946 when he and other council members were ordered to sign an expression of support for the trusteeship, and he refused to do so. On 8 February 1946 he was forced to resign from his position of Chairman of the Provisional People's Committee for the Five Provinces, and was placed under house arrest
by the Soviets. For some time he was kept under comfortable conditions at the Koryo Hotel
, from which position he continued to vocally oppose the communists. He stood in the 1948 vice-presidency election, but by then the Communist influence in the country's affairs was too strong, and he was unsuccessful, receiving only 10 votes from the National Assembly. Cho was later transferred to a prison in Pyongyang, where confirmed reports of him end. He is generally believed to have been executed along with other political prisoners during the early days of the Korean War
, possibly in October 1950. Cho's removal opened the way for Kim Il-sung to consolidate his power in the north, a position he was able to hold for 48 years until his death in 1994.
n government awarded him the Order of the Republic of Korea in the Order of Merit for National Foundation
. The taekwondo
form Ko-Dang was named in honour of Cho Man-sik.
Korean independence movement
The Korean independence movement grew out of the Japanese colonial rule of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. After the Japanese surrendered, Korea became independent; that day is now an annual holiday called Gwangbokjeol in South Korea, and Chogukhaebangŭi nal in North Korea.-Background:In...
. He became involved in the power struggle that enveloped North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
in the months following the Japanese surrender
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but was eventually forced from power by the Soviet-backed communists in the north. Placed under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
in 1946, he later disappeared into the North Korean prison system, where he is generally believed to have been executed.
Independence movement
Cho was born in Kangsŏ-gun, South P'yŏngan Province, now in North KoreaNorth Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. In his youth he was an activist within Korea's Christian community
Christianity in Korea
The practice of Christianity in Korea revolves around two of its largest branches, Protestantism and Catholicism, accounting for 8.6 million and 5.1 million members respectively. Roman Catholicism was first introduced during the late Joseon Dynasty period...
, but after Japan's annexation of Korea
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
in 1910 he became increasingly involved with his country's independence movement
Korean independence movement
The Korean independence movement grew out of the Japanese colonial rule of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. After the Japanese surrendered, Korea became independent; that day is now an annual holiday called Gwangbokjeol in South Korea, and Chogukhaebangŭi nal in North Korea.-Background:In...
. His participation in the 1919 Sam-Il protest marches
March 1st Movement
The March 1st Movement, or Samil Movement, was one of the earliest public displays of Korean resistance during the occupation of the Korean Empire by Japan. The name refers to an event that occurred on March 1, 1919, hence the movement's name, literally meaning "Three-One Movement" or "March First...
led to his arrest and detention, along with tens of thousands of other Koreans. After his release, he dedicated himself to non-violent resistance to the occupation, a stance which earned him the epithet "The Gandhi of Korea". He advocated a principle of self-sufficiency
Self-sufficiency
Self-sufficiency refers to the state of not requiring any outside aid, support, or interaction, for survival; it is therefore a type of personal or collective autonomy...
for the nation, and formed the Korean Products Promotion Society, intended to encourage Koreans to buy home-produced goods and so instil a sense of nationalism.
Activism post World War II
In August 1945, with Japanese surrender imminent, Cho was approached by the Japanese governor of PyongyangPyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
and asked to organise a committee to assume control and maintain stability in the power vacuum that would inevitably follow. He agreed to co-operate, and formed governing councils throughout the north; they generally being composed of right-wing nationalists
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
opposed to communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. The Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
arrived in Pyongyang in the days following the Japanese surrender, bringing with them the Korean communist Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung was a Korean communist politician who led the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to his death...
, who had trained in the Soviet army for ten years, rising to the rank of captain. Under Soviet pressure, Cho was obliged to reorganise his party, and accept more communists onto the councils. The opposing ideologies of Kim and Cho led to a clash between the two men, and the forced power-sharing failed to sit well with either of them.
The 1945 Moscow Conference
Moscow Conference (1945)
The Moscow Conference of Foreign Ministers of the United States , the United Kingdom , and the Soviet Union met in December 1945 to discuss the problems of occupation, establishing peace, and other Far East issues.The Communique issued after the Conference on December 27,...
between the victorious Allied powers discussed the statehood of Korea, proposing a four-power trusteeship for a period of five years, after which Korea would become an independent state. For Cho, this would result in excessive foreign, and particularly communist, influence over his country, and he refused to co-operate. A final straw came in January 1946 when he and other council members were ordered to sign an expression of support for the trusteeship, and he refused to do so. On 8 February 1946 he was forced to resign from his position of Chairman of the Provisional People's Committee for the Five Provinces, and was placed under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
by the Soviets. For some time he was kept under comfortable conditions at the Koryo Hotel
Koryo Hotel
The Koryo Hotel is the second largest operating hotel in North Korea. The twin-towered building is 143 metres tall and contains 43 stories...
, from which position he continued to vocally oppose the communists. He stood in the 1948 vice-presidency election, but by then the Communist influence in the country's affairs was too strong, and he was unsuccessful, receiving only 10 votes from the National Assembly. Cho was later transferred to a prison in Pyongyang, where confirmed reports of him end. He is generally believed to have been executed along with other political prisoners during the early days of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, possibly in October 1950. Cho's removal opened the way for Kim Il-sung to consolidate his power in the north, a position he was able to hold for 48 years until his death in 1994.
Legacy
In 1970, Cho's deeds gained posthumous recognition when South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n government awarded him the Order of the Republic of Korea in the Order of Merit for National Foundation
Order of Merit for National Foundation
The Order of Merit for National Foundation is an Order of South Korea. It is typically reserved for those who contributed to the founding of the modern Republic of Korea.It is awarded in five grades:...
. The taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
form Ko-Dang was named in honour of Cho Man-sik.