Jeongmi Uprising

Overview

The Jeongmi Uprising was an anti-Japanese righteous army movement that broke out in August 1907 (the year of Jeongmi) following the dissolution of the Korean Empire's army and continued across the country until around 1909. It was the third righteous army uprising after the Eulmi Righteous Army of 1895 and the Eulsa Righteous Army of 1905. With disbanded soldiers joining, its armament and tactics were greatly strengthened, and it took on the character of a virtual "war of righteous armies." The activities of commoner-born righteous army leaders were especially prominent, and at the end of 1907 the Thirteen Provinces Righteous Army, a nationwide united righteous army force, was formed and attempted the Seoul Advance Operation.

Background

Using the Hague Secret Envoys incident as a pretext, Japan forcibly deposed Emperor Gojong in July 1907 and forced the "New Korea-Japan Agreement (Jeongmi Seven-Article Treaty)." Under a secret memorandum attached to the agreement, Emperor Sunjong had to approve an imperial edict dissolving the army on July 31; beginning with the dissolution of the Palace Guard in Seoul on August 1, the provincial garrison troops were then dissolved one after another (Korean Encyclopedia of National Culture, "New Korea-Japan Agreement").

Course of Events

Palace Guard Uprising and the Battle of Namdaemun (August 1, 1907)

On the morning of August 1, when the disbandment ceremony was held at Hullyeonwon, Park Seung-hwan, first battalion commander of the 1st Regiment of the Palace Guard, took his own life in protest against the dissolution. Upon hearing this news, Palace Guard soldiers rose up with weapons and fought street battles with the Japanese army around Namdaemun. Soldiers of the first battalion of the 2nd Regiment also joined. As their ammunition ran out, the soldiers were driven back by Japanese machine guns and artillery, suffering heavy casualties and scattering; many of the surviving soldiers joined local righteous armies.

Uprisings of the Provincial Garrison Troops

• Wonju: Min Geung-ho, a special sergeant of the Wonju garrison troops, rose up at the beginning of August (there are various accounts, including August 2 and August 5), before the disbandment, leading about 300 soldiers. They attacked the Japanese postal station and police in Wonju and fought for three hours (Korean Encyclopedia of National Culture, "Min Geung-ho"). Min's unit later became the largest righteous army unit in Gangwon Province, fighting more than 100 battles in Jecheon, Juksan, Jangho-won, Yeoju, Hongcheon, and other places. Min was captured and killed on February 29, 1908.
• Ganghwa: Soldiers of the Ganghwa detachment also rose up and fought against the Japanese army.
• Lee Gang-nyeon (Mungyeong and Jecheon), Shin Dol-seok (Yeongdeok and Yeongdeok), and Hong Beom-do and Cha Do-seon (hunters from Hamgyong Province) were active in various regions. A notable feature of this period was the rise of commoner righteous army leaders such as Shin Dol-seok and Hong Beom-do.