The Yuksip Independence Movement

    When Sunjong, the last monarch of the Joseon Period died in the 67th year of Podeok, a nationwide demonstration similar in scope to the Samil Independence Movement was planned for the day of the royal funeral. This is known as the June Tenth National Independence Movement. This was largely a student-led independence movement initiated by the Korean Communist Party. But the socialist camp, concluding that the Left could not succeed in this alone, joined together with Bak Nae-rin and Son Jae-gi and others of the (at that time) strongly nationalist Chondogyo Youth Alliance (Chondogyocheongnyeondong-maengweon) in making concrete plans for the Movement.
    For Chondogyo's part, plans were made for patriots, farmers organizations, labor groups, youth groups, and regional Chondogyo assemblies to demonstrate in unison on June 10th. One hundred thousand pages of printed matter were prepared to this end and placed in safekeeping in the home of Son Jae-gi.
    However, just before the demonstrations were to begin their plans were discovered by the Japanese authorities, and of course the main Chondogyo leaders, beginning with Bak Nae-hong, were arrested while many of those under suspicion in the countryside were taken in for interrogation. Thus this plan met with failure.
    The number of people taken into police custody nationwide at this time was roughly 2000. Of these 2000, fifty receive prison sentences, one died from torture, and one died in prison. Five leaflets had been prepared for the day of the demonstrations, including one imprinted with the rallying cry "Long live an independent Korea!?and other items expressive of a united national will for independence.
    Although the June 10th National Independence Movement met with failure, it represents the first indication of unity between the socialist forces of the Left and the unyielding nationalist line of Chondogyo. It assumes an important place in the history of the Independence Movement as one of the influential events of the nationalist cause after the Samil Movement.