The Jeamni Massacre (Korean: 제암리 학살 사건; lit. Jeamni Massacre Incident) was a mass murder of 20 to 30 unarmed Korean civilians by the Imperial Japanese Army on April 15, 1919 in Jeamni, Suwon, Korea, Empire of Japan.
| 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 | 20 to 30 |
| 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 |
History
editDuring the event, Japanese soldiers brought 20 to 30[1] Koreans they suspected were linked to the March First Movement protests into a church for a meeting. They then opened fire on the civilians, and burned down the church to destroy the bodies and evidence of the incident.[1][2][3] They also set fire to nearby civilian homes.[3] Despite the cover-up efforts, 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.[4][5]
Japanese cover-up
editThe Japanese lieutenant responsible was disciplined, but a group of senior officers decided to attribute the incident to resistance by local people.[6]
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.[2] Utsunomiya's diary revealed that Japanese colonial authorities met and decided to cover up the incident.[6]
Aftermath
editIn 2019, a group of 17 Japanese Christians visited the site of the massacre and apologized for the incident on behalf of Japan.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b 김, 진봉, "수원 제암리 참변 (水原 堤岩里 慘變)", Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean), Academy of Korean Studies, retrieved 2024-04-30
- ^ a b "Diary entry reveals Japanese cover-up of massacre : International : News : The Hankyoreh". The Hankyoreh.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b "Japanese Army Massacre Diary Found". The Dong-A Ilbo. March 1, 2007. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
- ^ Shim, Sun-ah (2019-02-27). "Visiting Japanese Christians apologize for 1919 church massacre". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2021-06-12.