'Harbin Provisional Government' 'Self-Defense Forces'... March 1st Movement Filled with Errors and Controversies

Ministry of the Interior and Safety Deletes 3·1 Movement Promotional Material Due to Historical Errors
Controversy Also Surrounds Background of 3·1 Movement Commemoration Ceremony

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety, which oversees the March 1st Movement commemorative ceremony, was criticized for historical inaccuracies after producing promotional materials for the 105th anniversary of the March 1st Movement.

On February 29, a day before the March 1st Movement anniversary, the Ministry posted a card news on its official social media (SNS) account, recommending meaningful sites to visit in honor of the day. The card news described the March 1st Movement as "a large-scale anti-Japanese independence movement that began on March 1, 1919, in Harbin, Manchuria, with the independence declaration of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, and spread across Manchuria, Korea, and Japan."

Card news related to the March 1st Movement posted and then deleted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. [Photo by Ministry of the Interior and Safety]

However, historically, the March 1st Movement began on March 1, 1919, at Taehwagwan in Jongno, Seoul, where 33 national representatives read the Declaration of Independence. Furthermore, Harbin was never a location where the Provisional Government resided. The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was established on April 11, 1919, inheriting the spirit of the March 1st Movement. Besides the historical inaccuracies, the choice of images was also criticized. The card news used images related to Hunminjeongeum, which has no connection to the March 1st Movement, as the background.

Professor Seokyung Deok of Sungshin Women's University expressed outrage, saying, "The Ministry of the Interior and Safety should stop blaming the company managing their SNS and offer a sincere apology." He emphasized, "It is a clear historical fact that the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was established in Shanghai, China, in April of that year, triggered by the March 1st Movement. The government also commemorates April 11, 1919, as the 'Establishment Day of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.'"

Criticism from the political sphere also continued. Kim Doo-kwan, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea and former Minister of the Interior and Safety during the Roh Moo-hyun administration, said, "I am speechless and shocked. Are they out of their minds?" He added, "As a former minister, I cannot hide my shame." Cho Guk, the recruitment committee chair of the Innovation Party, also criticized, saying, "At first, I thought it was fake," and "Are they crazy?"

Facing a flood of criticism, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety stated, "We confirmed the historical error and deleted the post," and added, "We will be more careful to prevent such mistakes in the future."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is delivering a congratulatory speech at the 105th anniversary of the March 1st Movement ceremony. The word 'Jieitai' is visible on the theme banner behind the podium. Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, the March 1st Movement commemorative ceremony attended by President Yoon Suk-yeol also came under scrutiny. The background of the ceremony held on the morning of March 1 at the Yu Gwan-sun Memorial Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, featured large letters reading "A Great Journey Toward Freedom, Long Live the Republic of Korea." However, when read vertically, the letters spelled out "Jawi-dae," which sparked controversy. Jawi-dae refers to the Japan Self-Defense Forces, a quasi-military organization operated by Japan's Ministry of Defense. It was criticized as careless to have the word "Jawi-dae" visible in the commemorative ceremony phrase, especially on March 1st.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.