Battle of Qingshanli: Difference between revisions

| conflict = Battle of Qingshanli

| partof = the [[Korean Independence Movement]]

| date =October 21–26, October 1920

| place = Qīngshānlǐ, [[Jilin|Jílín]], [[Republic of China (1912-49)|China]]

| result= Both sides claim their victory = Inconclusive

| combatant1 = {{Flagicon|Empire of Japan}} [[Empire of Japan|Japan]]

| combatant2 = {{Flagicon image|Flag of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.svg}} [[Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea]]

* {{Flagicon image|Flag of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.svg}} [[Northern Military Administration Office Army]]

| commander1 = {{Flagicon image|War flag of the Imperial Japanese Army.svg|size=23px}} Tomotake Takashima<br/>{{Flagicon image|War flag of the Imperial Japanese Army.svg|size=23px}} Masahiko Azuma<br/>{{Flagicon image|War flag of the Imperial Japanese Army.svg|size=23px}} Naoaki Isobayashi<br/>{{Flagicon image|War flag of the Imperial Japanese Army.svg|size=23px}} Masuzō Kimura

| commander2 = {{Flagicon image|Flag of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.svg|size=23px}} [[Kim Jwa-jin]]<br/>{{Flagicon image|Flag of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.svg|size=23px}} [[Lee Beom-seok (Prime Minister)|Lee Beom-seok]]<br/>{{Flagicon image|Flag of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.svg|size=23px}} [[Hong Beom-do]]<br/>{{Flagicon image|Flag of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.svg|size=23px}} AnCho An-Mu

| strength1 = 30,000

| strength2 = About 3,000<ref>박은봉, 《한국사 100 장면》 (가람기획, 1993) 312</ref><ref>윤병석, 《간도역사의 연구》(국학자료원, 2006) 111</ref><ref>이이화, 《이이화 선생님이 들려주는 이야기 한국사 2》 (파란하늘, 2008) 143</ref>

| casualties1 = '''Japanese record:'''<ref name="donga">{{cite web|url=https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/020/0000322980?sid=103|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226162845/https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/020/0000322980?sid=103|script-title=ko:“한국 독립운동 양대대첩 청산리-봉오동전투 과장”|language=ko|publisher=[[The Dong-a Ilbo]]|date=9 November 2005|archive-date=26 February 2023|access-date=26 February 2023}}</ref><ref name="report">陸軍第十九師團司令部　「間島事件鮮支人死傷者調」　大正十年二月二十五日</ref><br />11 killed<br>24 wounded<br>'''Korean claim:'''<ref name="donga"/><ref>[http://www.kimjwajin.org/kim/kim_war.php Memorial working club for Kim Jwa-jin]</ref><br>812~1,200 killed<br>3,300 wounded

The '''Battle of Qingshanli''' ({{Korean|hangul=청산리 전투|hanja=靑山里戰鬪}}) was fought over six days in October 1920 between the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] and [[Korea]]n armed groups in a densely wooded region of eastern [[Manchuria]] called Qīngshānlǐ ({{lang-ja|青山里}}, ''Seizanri''; {{lang-ko|청산리}}, ''Cheongsanri''). It occurred during the campaign of the Japanese army in [[Jiandao]], during the [[Japanese rule of Korea]] (1910–1945).

After the [[March 1st Movement]] of 1919 by Koreans calling for liberation from Japanese occupation, some Korean activists formed an independence army in Manchuria. The Japanese government asked China to subdue them but got no substantive result.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cfnews.kr/coding/news.aspx/5/1/23444#.XcaLvO8zbDc|title=특별기고 - 3.1운동 100주년, 임시정부 수립 100주년 맞아 우리 민족의 혼을 찾아서}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sisajournal-e.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=205082|title=[임정100년과 독립운동가] 독립운동에 목숨 바친 형제 ‘최석순'최석순·최석준’최석준'|date=25 August 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sisajournal-e.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=199679|title=[임정100년과 독립운동가] 독립운동가 아내 이애라가 있었다|date=6 May 2019 }}</ref>

On October 2, October 1920, the Independence Army raided Hun-ch'un and killed 13 Japanese including the commissioner of the consulate police. In response, Japan decided to send troops to eastern Manchuria. Japan immediately held talks with China, and on October 16 October received permission for military action in eastern Jilin from the governor of Jilin.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sedaily.com/NewsView/1VO3QMMCH9|title=[잊혀진 의인들] 刺殺·강간에 梟首까지…무차별 만행에 스러진 무명의 희생자|date=3 September 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://kookbang.dema.mil.kr/newsWeb/20190703/1/BBSMSTR_000000100056/view.do|title=독립군에 대패한 일본군, 훈춘사건 빌미로 만주 침략}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/View/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0002509943&CMPT_CD=P0010|title=국치 이래 독립군이 이룬 가장 빛나는 청산리대첩|date=9 February 2019 }}</ref>

From October 21 to 23 October, the Northern military administration office army ({{korean|hangul=북로군정서군|hanja=北路軍政署軍}}) led by [[Kim Jwa-jin]] lured some of Japanese soldiers and attacked them in Baiyunping ({{lang|zh|白雲坪}}), Quanshuiping ({{lang|zh|泉水坪}}) and Wanlougou ({{lang|zh|完樓溝}}). Although the Korean force was small and used guerilla warfare, they were victorious. The Japanese force, who were defeated by the Korean Independent Army, appealed for help to the Azuma Detachment. They were rushed in for the relief of the remnants to fight against the Korean Independence Army.

The Azuma Detachment engaged in combat with the Korean Independence Army on October 23 October. The Northern military administration office army united the Korea independent army led by [[Hong Beom-do]] in the struggle against Japanese force. The Korean troops had the Japanese Azuma Detachment at a disadvantage, and the two forces fought the final battle in the Yulang town ({{lang|zh|漁郎村}}). The Korean army claimed to have killed 1,200 Japanese soldiers, and wounded thousands of others on October 26 October, though the number of casualties during the battle is still debated on. As a result of the battle, Korean forces retreated from the area and the Japanese army kept pursuing them.

In response to these claims, Kim Hak-Cheor (also known as Song Jin-woo), who participated in many battles as a member of the armed group for the independence of Korea, argued that the number of Japanese casualties was exaggerated by a factor of 300 or more. According to him, when Korean independence forces encountered the Japanese army, they lost 9 out of 10 times, and even if they won, they could only kill 2 or 3 Japanese soldiers.<ref name="pspd">[https://web.archive.org/web/20191022105039/https://www.peoplepower21.org/Magazine/712703 조선의용대 최후의 분대장 김학철 옹과의 병상 인터뷰.] [[People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy]]. September 1, September 2001.</ref><ref name="zakzak">[https://web.archive.org/web/20191212152612/https://www.zakzak.co.jp/soc/news/190731/for1907310006-n2.html 韓国で反日映画続々公開も当事者自ら「神話に近い」と認める.] Zakzak. July 31, July 2019</ref>

[[Japan]]ese sources claim 11 dead and 24 wounded, and no officer casualties.<ref name="donga"/><ref name="report"/> These numbers are repeated by the list of the fallen soldiers of the [[Yasukuni Shrine]]. Japanese investigation of weapons of the 19th Division after the expedition claims that the Japanese army consumed little.

The only Japanese soldier Korean sources name was "Regimental Commander Kanō." ''"The Bloody History of the Korean Independence Movement"'' states that a secret paper by a Japanese consul reported Regimental Commander Kanō's death, although Japan has not revealed such a report so far. Japan claims the only man corresponding to "Regimental Commander Kanō" was Colonel Nobuteru Kanō, who served as commander of the 27th regiment, and that his name cannot be found in the casualty list, but is said to have led the regiment until 1922. Moreover, two months after the Battle of Qingshanli, the regiment commanded by Colonel Kanō captured one Korean. This event is recorded in a secret [[telegraph|telegram]] from the Japanese consulate in Qingshanli on November 13, November 1920.<ref>みすず書房　現代史資料28 P412 11月13日延吉県大平溝竜浦洞付近に於いて加納騎兵連隊の手に捕らえたる金剛（本名宋在吉号武山）は、従来国民会警護部長として横暴を逞ふしたる有力な不逞鮮人なり (Kongo(chosun name is 宋在吉) who was caught by cavalry regiment of Kanō on November 13, November 1920 is a famous despotic Chosun.)</ref>

On the contrary, [[South Korea]]ns refer to this battle as the "great victory at Cheongsalli" and consider it a victory of the Independence Army.<ref>청산리 전투는 한국 무장독립운동 사상 가장 빛나는 전과를 올린 대첩(大捷)으로 독립전사에 기록되어 있다. - [https://archive.istoday/20120707175522/http://100.naver.com/100.nhn?docid=146563 Battle of Cheonhsnani - Naver encyclopedia]</ref> For the casualties of the Japanese army, ''Chosun Doknip Undongji Hyulsa'' by Bak Inseok (1920) states "900-1,600 including Regimental Commander Kanō," ''Daehan Minguk jeongdangsa'' compiled by the National Election Commission (1964) "over 1,000," ''Hanguk jeonjaengsa'' by the Military History Compilation Committee of the Ministry of National Defense (1967) "3,300 dead and wounded," and ''Hanguk Minjok Undongsa'' by Jo Jihun (1975) "3,300 including Regimental Commander Kanō."

*Zdenka Klöslová [https://kramerius.lib.cas.cz/view/uuid:70232fa5-cc52-4b06-912c-03c4b73c530f?page=uuid:25d33010-9fdb-4130-bac1-84903c931e35 Czech Arms for Korean Independence Fighters.] Archiv orientálníOrientální - Quarterly Journal of African and Asian Studies. Vol. LXXI (2003), no. 1, p. &nbsp;55–64. ISSN 0044-8699

[[Category:Battles of the Korean independence movement]]