The March 1st Movement and the Red Thread of International Peace History

This paper offers a narrative that transcends the received view of the March 1, 1919 Movement as a nationalist, anti-Japanese Movement for Korean Independence. Moving beyond the description of the Movement as one for independence and self-determination, I discuss the March 1st Movement within the deeper context of international peace history. When we transcend the traditional narrative and position the March 1st Movement and its participants within broader geographic, social and historical contexts, the cosmopolitan and humanitarian dimensions of the Movement are illuminated. Understood as a complex landscape of stories that illustrate an awakened conscience, cosmopolitan affection and the politics of hope, the March 1st Movement shines as an important moment in the red thread of international peace history.