Part 6. Liberation and Loss: The End of Occupation and the Beginning of Division

Introduction

August 15, 1945. After 35 years of brutal colonization, Korea breathed again. The Japanese Empire surrendered unconditionally to Allied Forces, and across the peninsula, Koreans poured into the streets shouting "Manse! (만세!)" — long live independence. At last, the dawn of liberation had come. And yet, within that light, shadows lingered. Because freedom arrived not with unity, but with foreign flags and unfamiliar lines. This chapter tells the story of how the end of Japanese rule led not to a single reborn Korea, but to a divided peninsula — and how dreams of independence were met by the harsh reality of geopolitics.

The Global War and Korea’s Forgotten Fighters

Korea’s role in World War II is often overlooked, but Koreans fought on multiple fronts. The Korean Liberation Army (광복군), founded in 1940 under the Provisional Government in Chongqing, allied with Chinese Nationalist forces and the British. Leaders like Kim Gu coordinated intelligence-sharing with the OSS (precursor to the CIA) and plotted joint operations against Japan in Manchuria and Korea.

In the U.S., Korean-American units trained for sabotage missions. Resistance groups in Manchuria and the Soviet Far East continued guerrilla warfare. Yet, when the war ended, their sacrifices were largely ignored by the Allied powers.

The Unexpected Liberation

Japan’s surrender came swiftly after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Korean people were not consulted about the shape of their future. In a hurried arrangement, the U.S. and the Soviet Union agreed to divide the peninsula along the 38th parallel for temporary administration. What was meant to be provisional became permanent.

On August 15, 1945, liberation was announced. But instead of a unified Korean-led government, American forces landed in the south and Soviet troops in the north. Each side began establishing separate administrations aligned with their ideologies.

📷 Image source: By 미상 - KBS 스페셜 8.15 광복특집 - 기억의 재구성, 퍼블릭 도메인, 링크

The Return of Exiles—and Clashing Visions

Exiled leaders, including Kim Gu and Syngman Rhee, returned to Korea with visions of a free republic. But consensus proved elusive. Left-wing and right-wing factions clashed over land reform, political structure, and relations with foreign powers. The U.S. Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK) ruled the south, while the Soviets supported emerging socialist leadership in the north.

The failure of the U.S.-USSR Joint Commission to agree on a path to unified elections deepened the divide. As ideological tension intensified, it became clear: the two halves of Korea were becoming two different nations.

Birth of Two Governments

In 1948, amid growing Cold War pressure, separate governments were established. In the south, the Republic of Korea (ROK) was declared on August 15 with Syngman Rhee as president. In the north, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) was formed on September 9 under Kim Il-sung.

The dream of a unified, independent Korea—the cause that had driven decades of struggle—was shattered. Independence had come, but not unity. For many who had fought for freedom, this was a second heartbreak.

The Personal Toll

The division split families, villages, and entire communities. Fighters who once stood side by side now found themselves on opposite sides of a new border. Kim Gu, disheartened by the division, sought a last-ditch effort at peaceful unification by visiting Pyongyang in 1948—but his hopes were dashed. He was later assassinated in 1949, his dream buried with him.

For everyday Koreans, the joy of liberation was quickly replaced with confusion, hunger, and fear. Political purges, ideological conflict, and preparations for war loomed heavy in the air.

Legacy of Liberation

August 15 remains Liberation Day in both Koreas, but its meaning diverges sharply. In the South, it is a celebration of sovereignty. In the North, a narrative of revolutionary triumph. But beneath the politics lies a shared pain — the knowledge that freedom arrived divided.

The independence fighters of the early 20th century did not dream of two Koreas. Their sacrifice was for a single, unified homeland. And while their vision remains unfulfilled, it endures in every effort toward peace, reconciliation, and memory.

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Coming up next: The Korean War begins—how a civil conflict became the first global battle of the Cold War.