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Jeamni massacre

Coordinates: 37°7′34″N 126°53′37″E / 37.12611°N 126.89361°E / 37.12611; 126.89361
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Jeamni Massacre
LocationTeigan, Suigen, Keiki-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan
(now Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea)
Coordinates37°7′34″N 126°53′37″E / 37.12611°N 126.89361°E / 37.12611; 126.89361
DateApril 15, 1919
TargetKorean residents of Jeamni
Attack type
Massacre
Deaths20 to 30
PerpetratorImperial Japanese Army
Jeamni massacre
Hangul
제암리 학살 사건
Hanja
提巖里虐殺事件
Revised RomanizationJeamni haksal sageon
McCune–ReischauerCheamni haksal sagŏn

The Jeamni Massacre (Korean제암리 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.

History

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During 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

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The 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

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In 2019, a group of 17 Japanese Christians visited the site of the massacre and apologized for the incident on behalf of Japan.[7]

References

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  1. ^ 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
  2. ^ a b "Diary entry reveals Japanese cover-up of massacre : International : News : The Hankyoreh". The Hankyoreh.
  3. ^ a b Korean History Dictionary Compilation Society. "제암리 학살사건". terms.naver.com (in Korean). Garam Planning. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
  4. ^ "Frank W. Schofield: 'God-sent angel for Korean independence'". Korea.net.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ a b "Japanese Army Massacre Diary Found". The Dong-A Ilbo. March 1, 2007. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  7. ^ Shim, Sun-ah (2019-02-27). "Visiting Japanese Christians apologize for 1919 church massacre". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2021-06-12.