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Why is Japan interested in Ireland?

The March 1st Movement in 1919 is the largest ethnic uprising under the Japanese rule. Since then, Japan and colonial Joseon have become very interested in Ireland on the other side of the world. Japanese scholar Tatao Yanaihara said, “People compare Joseon to Ireland. The two countries are geographically close, and are closely related to the economy and defense sectors. It is not unfair to compare the relationship between Korea and Japan, and Ireland and Britain.” Many researchers used to explain the relationship between Ireland and Joseon based on his words.

But this is just an explanation for some outcome. After the March 1st Movement, interest in Ireland was raised in a very realistic need. In fact, the March 1st Movement. brought a great crisis to the colonial rule of Joseon led by the Japanese military. The Japanese imperialists suppressed the resistance of the colonies by force. However, the control of Joseon with the military government of the 1910s had a clear limit. The Japanese Army tried to maintain it by partially revising its policy of military government. It was difficult to carry out the ruling policy because it was in conjunction with the following situations. 1) The weakening of the privileged power(Meiji oligarchy) in Japan, 2) The growth of political parties, 3) Democracy that has become the trend of the times, 4) The movement of the Hara Cabinet to expand Jungwohoe in the colonies, (iv) The responsibility of the Japanese Army for the outbreak of the March 1st Movement.

In Japan, various claims have been made about how to colonize Joseon. Some Japanese liberal intellectuals, political parties, and scholars studying colonial policy insisted on the implementation of the autonomy(self-governance) system in Joseon. At the same time, as the exploration of colonial policy in the Western Empire began again, British colonial rule of Ireland received great attention. The reason for this was that Ireland continued to carry out large-scale resistance campaigns such as the March 1st Movement and implemented autonomy and suffrage in response to various British colonial policies. However, the privileged forces, the military forces, and the core forces of the Jungwoohoe, which are the core of Japan's ruling power, were very negative for the autonomy and suffrage. They saw these policies as threatening the Japanese Empire, rather than stabilizing colonial rule.

Articles on the Irish National Movement in the Dong-A Ilbo published in 1922    

Why did colonial Joseon become interested in Ireland?

The signing of the Versailles treatment in June 1919 established the League of Nations system. What is noteworthy in this process is that not only the colonial rule of the defeated country, but also the war victory country was greatly disturbed. The March 1st Movement took place in the Japanese colonies, and the British colonial rule system also experienced great changes. In the United Kingdom general election in December 1918, the Sinn Féin party, which claimed Irish independence, took control of the majority of seats allocated to the Irish region. And the Irish Parliamentary Party which claimed compromised autonomy over the UK was devastated. The Sinn Féin did not join the British Parliament, but independently formed the Irish Parliament and declared the Republic of Ireland except Northern Ireland. In April 1919 they formed an independent cabinet with Eamon De Valera as president. And they organized the IRA with the establishment of government and fought fiercely against the British for independence.

At that time, the Dong-A Ilbo claimed to be the official paper of the Korean National Movement. They reported in detail about the national movement that took place in the colonies of the First World War victors from shortly after its inception. It was not simply about reporting the facts. It was part of an inquiry to learn something in relation to direction of the national movement of Joseon. The Dong-A Ilbo was centered on management members Song Jin-woo, Kim Sung-soo, and editorial director Lee Sang-hyeop. In addition, nationalist reporters and main writers Jang Duk-soo were leading the way, and socialist reporters and editorials belonging to the Social Revolution Party and the domestic division of the Coryo Communist Party were cooperating.

Then, interest in the national movement of Ireland grew. The Dong-A Ilbo examined the issue of the national movement in Ireland from April 9 to 21, 1920, with the title of 「Origin of the Ireland issue」 13 times in total. And they reported more than 700 articles about Ireland from 1920 to 1923. In addition, the monthly magazine 『Gaebyeok』 of the Chundogyo family also published a considerable amount of related news and editorials until the mid-1920s, and news and editorials about Ireland were continuously published in 『Dongmyung』, 『Samchully』 and 『Byeolgongon』.

It was natural for the elites of Joseon, who were looking for the direction of the national movement of Joseon after the March 1st Movement, to explore the national movement in the colonies of the First World War victory countries. In particular, Ireland was in a similar position to Joseon due to its geopolitical relationship with colonial control, and the national movement against Britain was active. That is why intensive inquiry was needed. Some researchers thought that they focused on the national movement of Ireland and India because they had a position of self-government movement instead of independence movement. And researchers understood they looked at the national movements of Ireland and India to find the basis for the self-government movement. This is a reversed perception of the historical situation of the time.

Therefore, it should not be considered that the Dong-A Ilbo represented only the position of the bourgeois nationalist right until the first half of 1923, or represented the claim of the autonomous party. At that time, the Dong-A Ilbo's claim reflected the position of the Shanghai socialist in Joseon. Considering that Joseon began to accept socialist ideas, we can find traces of various socialist ideas including social democracy. They embraced the new ideas, while on the other hand exploring the Irish national movement as a realistic precedent for seeking directions for the national movement.

Articles on the Irish National Movement in the Dong-A Ilbo published in 1922

The Dong-A Ilbo's Understanding of the Irish National Movement and the Sinn Féin party's Policy

In March 1920, Ireland fiercely resisted the Britain. The Liberal Party of Britain submits the Fourth Irish Home Rule to Parliament. At that time, the Dong-A Ilbo examined the historical, ethnic, religious, economic and political issues of the Irish National Movement in detail and analyzed the Home Rule from the first to the fourth. They claim that Home Rule does not resolve the relationship between Britain and Ireland, and have said the following reasons: First, the history of Britain and Ireland is too terrible for Irish to be satisfied with autonomy. Second, the ethnic interests that would unite the Britain and Ireland are inconsistent. Third, a large number of workers and radical politicians in the colonial control support Irish independence according to national self-determination. Therefore, Ireland is enthusiastically demanding independence, and ignores the British Home Rule as trying to eradicate independent thought.

This perception of the Dong-A Ilbo changes as the Irish national movement progresses. In December 1920, the British Parliament passed the Irish Home Rules, amid the intensifying confrontation between the Republic of Ireland led by Sinn Féin and the United Kingdom. And with martial law in place, a general election was held for the formation of the Irish autonomous government. The British tried to divide the Irish national movement through the self-governing system and maintain control. Sinn Féin participated in the general election but insisted on Irish independence, not conforming to the self-governing system. And they used tactics that did not participate in the formation of the self-governing council, which was established as a result of the election. The Dong-A Ilbo described Sinn Féin's participation in the general election as a demonstration of the party's power in relation to the Irish national movement and to prove that many Irish people opposed autonomy.

Articles on the Irish National Movement in the Dong-A Ilbo published in 1922

Sinn Féin won the election in a landslide. The Unionist Party of Northern Ireland, which supported the autonomy of the UK, was dominant only in the Northern Ireland area. However, Sinn Féin, a majority party, did not participate in the formation of the autonomous council. So the UK failed in its policy of integrating Ireland. After the self-government policy is stranded, UK's policy on Ireland changes significantly. In July 1921, UK Prime Minister David Lloyd George offered to President Eamon De Valera of the Republic of Ireland. Negotiations on solving problems for Ireland, and the signing of treaties. It has gone through several ups and downs. During the negotiations, British military operations continued, and Ireland fiercely resisted. The Dong-A Ilbo reported the process in detail and continuously. Such reports were unusual given the underdeveloped communication situation at the time, and the circumstances of the media that could not dispatch correspondents.

On 6 December 1921, the UK and the Republic of Ireland agreed on the establishment of a Free Irish State. It ensured full autonomy in the internal affairs, and the establishment of the Army. The Dong-A Ilbo began reporting on it in large quantities in early December 1921. On 7 January 1922, the Irish Parliament approved the treaty and established the Irish Free State. Sinn Féin split into pro-pact and anti-pact factions over the separation of Northern Ireland and the pledge of allegiance to the British king. This was the cause of the civil war that began in June 1922. The civil war ended in mid-1923 with a victory of the pro-pact, and they established a political party.

The Dong-A Ilbo reported in detail the division and confrontation of Sinn Féin over independence and autonomy, the process of civil war, and the enactment of the Irish New Constitution. But they took Ireland's demand for independence for granted historically, ethnically and emotionally. And if Ireland does not recognize that it is difficult to become independent within a short time given location, safety, and existence, they thought it will lead to the sacrifice of young people, waste of national wealth, and British animosity. They argued that taking practical interests to ensure the freedom and happiness of the Irish is a 'politicist insight' and a 'realistic intelligence'. This shows that the first negative thinking about 'autonomy' has changed according to its contents through the exploration of the Irish national movement.

Image was taken July 1921 at a prayer vigil outside the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations 

which marked the end of the Anglo-Irish War. 

(Source : National Library of Ireland on The Commons)

What did they learn from the Irish National Movement?

The Japanese imperialism recognized that the Irish Free State had the character of an independent state. So scholars, politicians, and bureaucrats who studied colonial policy from the Japanese colonial point of view insisted that Japan should not follow the footsteps of British colonial rule. For them, Ireland was a failure case of colonial rule, and a lesson.

Japanese settlers in Joseon under Japanese rule, and officials of the Joseon Governor-General's Office were not given the right to elect Japanese House of Representatives. They continued to demand suffrage or autonomy for their interests and rights. But such claims were not worth considering for a Japanese power group that was grasping the situation in Ireland. Only policies were discussed to increase opportunities for political participation in a limited and deformed form through partial improvement of the local administrative system. The autonomous system such as the 'Joseon Parliament' was not discussed in Japan. Due to the deterioration of the war situation and the forced conscription of Koreans, the suffrage was planned limitedly, but it was not implemented.

Some socialists who had a great interest in the Irish national movement through the Dong-A Ilbo have lost interest since the establishment of the Irish Free State and the end of the civil war. The people who led the Irish national movement were republicans and liberals. Therefore, it was not the policy and ideological orientation of socialism in Joseon. Especially after the division of Shanghai in Joseon, socialist ideas changed radically and the influence of the Comintern increased. From then on, the Irish national movement was just a reference.

The Dong-A Ilbo and the Chondogyo family still interested in the Irish national movement. They closely examined Sinn Féin that led the Irish national movement, and the Irish National Party which fell while compromised with Britain. So they learned something new about the national movement: the importance of legal space and parliamentary tactics, the process of bringing the Irish people together in Sinn Féin, the combination of the fighting tactics and the popular movement, the process of participating in the British Parliament, which gave suffrage, and neutralizing it. The Dong-A Ilbo evaluated moderates in Sinn Féin positively as a realistic line.

But they studied Sinn Féin as a model, but they did not inherit Sinn Féin's experience. Sinn Féin has fought a comprehensive political struggle, including armed struggles in the areas of legal and non-legal. But they did not link up with armed independence struggles abroad or the National Unity Movement. And they have made few attempts to develop into an organizational movement of political associations that includes non-legal areas. Popular and legal movements were essential to gather a broad public in the national movement. But for the public's legitimate political movement to develop, and to escape compromise and improvement, it had to be based on non-compromising and combative guarantees. This was a task given to both domestic nationalists as well as the Dong-A Ilbo and the Chondogyo family.