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withQuestions(DBQs)M A N I F E S T O O F T H E K O R E A N C O M M U N I S T P A R T Y I N S H A N G H A I ( 1 9 2 1 )

Introduction

KoreanCommunistpartiescameintobeingveryquicklyaftertheBolshevikrevolutioninRussiaandoperatedboth

inside Korea and among Korean exiles in China, Manchuria, Japan, and Russia itself. Away from the tightly

controlledenvironmentof theKoreanpeninsula, some tookpartinarmedstruggleagainstJapanese forcesand

interests and tended to regard more conservative nationalists who hoped for the gradual realization of

independencefromJapanwithdisdain.KimIlSung,theeventualruleroftheDPRK(NorthKorea),wasaleaderof

one Manchurian group, and one cause of the eventual political division of Korea was the split between the

CommunistandnonCommunistnationalistoppositiontoJapanduringthecolonialperiod.

Thisdocument,writtenin1921,issuedfromoneearlyKoreanCommunistgroupbasedinShanghai.

DocumentExcerptswithQuestions(Longerselectionfollowsthissection)From Sources of Korean Tradition, edited byYngho Choe, Peter H. Lee, and Wm. Theodore deBary,vol. 2 (New York:

Columbia University Press, 2000), 356357. 2000 Columbia University Press. Reproduced with the permission of the

publisher.Allrightsreserved.

ManifestooftheKoreanCommunistPartyinShanghai(1921)

Ournationalemancipationmovementismerelyasteptowardtheultimatepurposeof

socialrevolution.Wearestrivingforthecompleteeliminationofalltheclassesofourpresent

society.Thisisourbeliefand,atthesametime,thecommonobjectiveofallthetoilingmassesof

theworld.

[TranslatedbyDaeSookSuh]

Question:

1. Whatistheultimategoalofthegroup,asdeclaredinthemanifesto?Whoorwhat isit ultimately fightingagainst, and why? What placedoes the

Koreanstrugglehaveinthatgoal?

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MANIFESTOOFTHEKOREANCOMMUNISTPARTYINSHANGHAI

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LongerSelectionwithQuestionsFrom Sources of Korean Tradition, edited byYngho Choe, Peter H. Lee, and Wm. Theodore deBary,vol. 2 (New York:

Columbia University Press, 2000), 356357. 2000 Columbia University Press. Reproduced with the permission of the

publisher.Allrightsreserved.

ManifestooftheKoreanCommunistPartyinShanghai(1921)

The fact that the JapaneseannexationofKoreais unnatural andunreasonable isvery

clear. Since the annexation, Japan has deprived us of all freedom of assembly and speech.

Japanese interference reached an extremewhen they intervened in our industrial enterprises

andbyirrationallawspreventedthegrowthoftheseindustrialenterprises.Thesocialprogress

oftheKoreanpeopleandtheculturaldevelopmentofthemasseshavebeenvirtuallyhaltedby

theseinhumanacts,whichhavebroughthungertothemateriallifeandimpoverishmenttothe

spiritofthemasses.WearestrivingtooverthrowtheJapaneseyokefortheprosperityofourpeopleWehavefought ahardfightduringthepastthreeyears,sincethedeclarationofwar

against Japan. Though our efforts have been weak, our sincerity and zeal have more than

supplementedwhatwehavelackedinourforcesandwebelievethatultimatevictorywillbe

ours.

Ournationalemancipationmovementismerelyasteptowardtheultimatepurposeof

socialrevolution.Wearestrivingforthecompleteeliminationofalltheclassesofourpresent

society.Thisisourbeliefand,atthesametime,thecommonobjectiveofallthetoilingmassesof

theworld.Thus,ourenemyisalltheexploitingclassesoftheworldaswellastheJapanese

militaristsandfinanciers.Allthemasseswhosharethecommonfateundertheoppressionof

the ruling class must unite their efforts. Thus, our efforts may be meager, but we expressheartfeltcongratulationstotheRussianworkingmassesandawaitwithgreatexpectationtheir

success. We also expect the success of the activities of the Chinese mass revolutionary

organizationsandtrustinthesuccessofthebirthoftherecentJapanesesocialistorganization

andJapaneseCommunistParty.Thus,weshalltogetherdestroyanddroveouttherootsofall

thecrimesoftheexploitingclassesinEastAsia,nay,intheentireworld.

TheWorldWarof1914,whichresultedingreatbloodshedfortheworldsmasses,had

its very roots in the purpose of filling the bottomless storehouses of the bourgeoisie of the

capitalistcountries.Butithasbeensaidthatthewarwasameanstodestroyimperialismand

bringeternalpeace,andalsothatthewarwastoemancipatetheoppressedpeopleofthewhole

world,thusdeceivingtheoppressedmasses.Becauseofthisdeceptivepropaganda,includingsuch propaganda asWilsons Fourteen Points, some people placed great trust in the Peace

ConferenceandtheLeagueofnations.Buteventhoughthebourgeoisieusedcunningtactics

and strenuous efforts to conceal its true intentions, its evil and tyrannical objectives were

eventuallyexposed.TheVersaillesPeaceConferenceisnothingbutameetingofhungrywolves

to divide the territories of the defeated and collect reparations from the defeated. The

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difficulties oftheEnglishand the French inEurope and the antagonismbetween theUnited

statesandJapanoverPacificproblemsareallthesamekindofproblem.

The League of Nations is merely an organization to revive the already destroyed

foundationsofcapitalismandthusitisapeculiarandworthlessorganization.Theweakare

always attempting to hang onto the roots of anythingnearby. Until todaywe have always

expectedthe true revival of the League ofNations byappealing to the leaders of theworld

emancipation movement and by pointing to justice and humanity. It is not that we do not

understand those who attempt to utilize the opportunities made available by the intense

strugglesoftheUnitedStatesandJapaninthePacific,butlookattheexploitationbytheBritish

inIndia,bytheFrenchinAnnam,andbytheUnitedStatesinthePhilippines.Byobserving

thesephenomena, it is notdifficult to seewho is trulyour friend, andwho is our foe. Our

excitementovertheRussianOctoberRevolutionisnotwithoutjustification,becauseincarrying

outthegreattaskoftheworldrevolutionarymovementwefeelthatweareonthesamefooting

with them. Thus, we share the same fate with the workingmasses of the world and their

organizations.WemustunitetofightagainstourenemiesintheLeagueofNations,thehoundsofworldcapitalismandimperialism,anditssupporter,theSecondInternational.

TheThirdCommunistInternationalistrulythefederationoftheworldstoilingmasses

andtheonlyheadquartersoftheworldsocialistrevolution,atwhichtheKoreanshavealready

beenrepresentedinthenameoftheKoreanSocialistParty,anditiswiththeCominternthatwe

canshareourfateinthestruggleagainstthecapitalists.OurpartyisanindependentKorean

sectionoftheCommunistInternational.

We strive to establish the Korean soviet government under the dictatorship of the

proletariatsothatitwillbepossibletocarryoutthefighttodestroyalltheexistingsystemsand

establish the great society for the ultimatehappiness of all men.We trust that the ultimatevictory is ours and that victorywill be the victory of theworking masses of Korea, which

compriseseventypercentoftheKoreanpopulation.AllproletariatsuniteundertheCommunist

banner.

[TranslatedbyDaeSookSuh]

Questions:

1. How does the manifesto explain this groups opposition to Japanesecolonialism?

2. Whatistheultimategoalofthegroup,asdeclaredinthemanifesto?Whoorwhat isit ultimately fightingagainst, and why? What placedoes the

Koreanstrugglehaveinthatgoal?

3. Why might this group, inclaiming to represent the working masses ofKorea, expect support? Implicitly, what do they think of other (non

Communist) Korean nationalist groups? Who or what might they

represent,accordingtotheauthors?