2019년은 대한민국 ‘건국 100주년’이 아니라 ‘독립 71주년’이 맞다

Celebrate Aug. 15, 2019 as the 71st National Independence Day

A political storm is brewing over fixing the birth year of the Republic of Korea.　 President Moon Jae-in is committed to moving it from 1948 to 1919, while conservative opponents are no less determined to defend 1948. 　 A coalition of rightwing forces spearheaded by the Korea Liberty Party (KLP) is bracing for a showdown during parliamentary deliberations over the Fiscal Year 2019 national budget with the aim of derailing Moon’s efforts. Fixing the republic’s birth year is a challenge. The Republic of Korea marked Aug. 15, 1945 as the “Day of Kwangbok,” but “kwangbok” means “restoration of the lost land and sovereignty,” and Aug. 15, 1945 was merely the day of “liberation” from Japanese colonial occupation. The Korean Peninsula was “liberated” from Japan but it was divided into two halves along the 38th Parallel and subject to military occupation by the United States and the Soviet Union. On Aug. 15, 1948, “restoration of the land and sovereignty” became a reality for Koreans in the southern half of the peninsula, as the Republic of Korea gained independence and was recognized by the UN as the “only lawful government” on the peninsula, established through a free general election mandated and supervised by the world body, even though control and jurisdiction was confined to the southern half of the peninsula. Having gained “independence,” the republic could mark Aug. 15, 1945, as its “Day of the Founding of the Nation (건국절),” making it possible for the people of South Korea also to remember it as the “Day of Kwangbok.” Complete “kwangbok” remained unfulfilled pending reunification of the peninsula. Moon’s attempt to designate April 11, 1919, the day the “Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea” was proclaimed in Shanghai, as the “Day of National Founding” is not justifiable for two reasons. First, the Provisional Government did not satisfy any of the requirements of the Montevideo Convention of 1933, having neither territory, population, sovereignty nor international recognition. Second if the Republic of Korea became fully independent on April 11, 1919, it is impossible to explain “independence struggles” waged until 1945 when the peninsula was liberated from Japan. The Republic of Korea gained independence on Aug. 15, 1945, with the UN playing the role of a mid-wife. Therefore, it is wise to remember Aug. 15, 1945, as the “Independence Day” of the republic, and to celebrate the 71th Anniversary of Independence Day on Aug. 15, 2019. August 15 2019 will also be the 74th Anniversary of “Liberation Day,” and be remembered by the people of South Korea as the 71st Anniversary of the “Day of Kwangbok.”