Jeamni massacre
| Jeamni Massacre | |
|---|---|
| Location | Teigan, Suigen, Keiki-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan (now Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea) |
| Coordinates | 37°7′34″N 126°53′37″E / 37.12611°N 126.89361°E |
| Date | April 15, 1919 |
| Target | Korean residents of Jeamni |
Attack type | Massacre |
| Deaths | 29 |
| Perpetrator | Imperial Japanese Army |
| Jeamni massacre | |
| Hangul | 제암리 학살 사건 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 提巖里虐殺事件 |
| Revised Romanization | Jeamni haksal sageon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Cheamni haksal sagŏn |
The Jeamni Massacre (Korean: 제암리 학살 사건; lit. Jeamni Massacre Incident) was the killing of Korean civilians by the Imperial Japanese Army inside a church in what is now Hwaseong, South Korea, near Suwon. To cover up the mass-killings, the Japanese soldiers burned the church down.[1] However, Canadian missionary Dr. Frank W. Schofield witnessed the aftermath of the slaughter and published a report on the event.
Background[edit]
In 1919, two million Koreans organized peaceful protests against Japanese occupation in the March 1st Movement.[2] In retaliation, Japanese authorities sent troops to violently suppress the demonstrations.
Massacre[edit]
On April 15, in the village of Jeamni, Japanese soldiers herded 29 residents, including children, into a Methodist church before firing at the building.[3][1][4] Afterwards, the soldiers committed arson by lighting the church on fire and killing any surviving victims; they also set fire to nearby civilian homes.[5] Canadian doctor Frank Schofield heard news of the event and immediately visited the scene. Schofield then wrote a report titled "The Massacre of Chai-Amm-Ni" and published it in The Shanghai Gazette on May 27, 1919.[6][7]
Japanese cover-up[edit]
The Japanese lieutenant responsible was disciplined, but a group of senior officers decided to attribute the incident to resistance by local people.[4]
In his diary, Japanese commander Taro Utsunomiya wrote that the incident would hurt the reputation of the Japanese Empire and acknowledged that the Japanese soldiers committed murder and arson.[3] Utsunomiya's diary revealed that Japanese colonial authorities met and decided to cover up the incident.[8]
Later events[edit]
In 2019, a group of 17 Japanese Christians visited the site of the massacre and apologized for the incident on behalf of Japan.[9]
References[edit]
- ^ a b [1][dead link]
- ^ "March First Movement | Korean history". Encyclopedia Britannica.
- ^ a b "Diary entry reveals Japanese cover-up of massacre : International : News : The Hankyoreh". The Hankyoreh.
- ^ a b "Japanese Army Massacre Diary Found". The Dong-a Ilbo. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
- ^ Korean History Dictionary Compilation Society. "제암리 학살사건". terms.naver.com (in Korean). Garam Planning. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
- ^ "Frank W. Schofield: 'God-sent angel for Korean independence'". Korea.net.
- ^ Legault, B.; Prescott, J. F. (2009). ""The arch agitator:" Dr. Frank W. Schofield and the Korean independence movement". The Canadian Veterinary Journal. 50 (8): 865–872. PMC 2711476. PMID 19881928.
- ^ "Japanese Army Massacre Diary Found". The Dong-a Ilbo.
- ^ 심, 선아 (2019-02-27). "Visiting Japanese Christians apologize for 1919 church massacre". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2021-06-12.