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Battle of Qingshanli
Part of the Korean Independence Movement
Date October 21 - October 26, 1920 Location Qīngshānlǐ, Jílín, China Result Decisive victory of Korea independent army
Belligerents
Imperial Japanese Army	Northern military administration office army, Korea independent army
Commanders
Yamada	Kim Jwa-jin Lee Beom-seok Hong Beom-do
Strength
5,000	2,800
Casualties and losses
812 ~ 1,200 killed and 2,000 wounded[1]	60 killed and 90 wounded

The 'Battle of Qingshanli was fought between the Imperial Japanese Army and Korean armed groups in a densely-wooded region of eastern Manchuria called Qīngshānlǐ (Japanese: 青山里 Seisanri, Korean: 청산리 Cheongsanri) in October 1920. It occurred during the campaign of the Japanese army in Jiandao, during Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945).

Contents 1 Background 2 Status of the Battles 3 Controversies 3.1 Hun-ch'un Incident 3.2 Casualties of the Japanese army 4 References

[edit] Background

After the March 1st Movement of 1919 by Koreans calling for liberation from Japanese occupation, some Korean activists formed an "Independence Army". The Japanese government asked China to subdue them but got no substantive result.

On October 2, 1920, independence forces 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 received permission of military action in eastern Jilin from the governor of Jilin.

[edit] Status of the Battles

The Japanes forces who joined the expedition were that the 19th Division of the Army, the 28th Brigade of the 19th Division, which was on its way back to Japan, and two units from the 11th and 13th Divisions who had been sent to Vladivostok.

Among them, only the 19th Division of the Army launched an actual military operation and the rest just held a lockdown and a demonstration. The 19th Division was deployed in Hunchun (Isobayashi Detachment), Wangqing (Kimura Detachment) and Yanji-Helong (Azuma Detachment). The Isobayashi and Kimura Detachments engaged in no major combat.

In October 21 to 23, However, Northern military administration office army (북로군정서군, 北路軍政署軍) led by Kim Jwa-jin lured some of Japanese soldiers lead, and attack to them in Baiyunping (白雲坪), Quanshuiping (泉水坪) and Wanlougou (完樓溝). Although Korean force victory in the small guerilla warfare, They were not onslaught. The Japanese force, who was defeated by Korean independent army, appeal for help to the Azuma Detachment. They were rushed for the relief of the remnants in order to fought against Korean independent armies.

The Azuma Detachment engaged in combats with Korean independent armies from October 23. The Northern military administration office army united Korea independent army led by Hong Beom-do in the struggle against Japanese force. The Korean troops had the Japanese Azuma Detachment at vantage, and two forces plunged into the final battle in the Yulang town (漁郎村). The Korean armies killed 1,200 Japanese soldiers, and wounded thousands of other them to October 26. As a result, Japanese retreated from the area of operation.

The Battle of Qingshanli considered as a greatest victory in Hitory of the Korean guerilla struggles to Koreans.^[2]

[edit] Controversies

[edit] Hun-ch'un Incident

South Korea views the Hun-ch'un Incident as a deception by Japan, who they believe used it as an excuse to detach troops.

According Korean sources, the Japanese army bribed a bandit leader called Ch'ang-chiang-hao and made him attack Hun-ch'un, and Japanese victims were incidentally attacked by bandits who were enticed to the raid by Ch'ang-chiang-hao and were not under his control.

[edit] Casualties of the Japanese army

South Koreans refer to this battle as the "great victory at Cheongsalli" and consider it a victory of the Independence Army. For the casualties of the Japanese army, Chosun Doknip Undongji Hyulsa by Bak Inseok (1920) states "900-1,600 including Regimental Commander Kano," 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 Kano."

Japanese sources claim 11 dead and 24 wounded, and no casualty from officers. These numbers are repeated by the list of the dead 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 Kano." "The Bloody History of the Korean Independence Movement" states that a secret paper by a Japanese consul reported Regimental Commander Kano's death, although Japan has not revealed such a report so far. Japan claims the only man corresponding to "Regimental Commander Kano" was Colonel Kano Nobuteru, 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, after two months of the Battle of Qingshanli, the regiment commanded by Colonel Kano captured one Korean people and this event is recorded in the secrecy telegraph from the Japanese consulate in Qingshanli on November 31, 1920. ^[3]

[edit] References

• JACAR Ref.C03022770200, Chōsengun Shireibu (朝鮮軍司令部): Kantō shuppeishi (間島出兵史)
• Sasaki Harutaka (佐々木春隆): Kankoku dokuritsu undōshi jō no "Seizanri taisen" kō (韓国独立運動史上の「青山里大戦」考), Gunji shigaku (軍事史学), Vol.15 No. 3, pp.22-34, 1979.
• Sasaki Harutaka (佐々木春隆): Chōsen sensō zenshi to shite no Kankoku dokuritsu undō no kenkyū (朝鮮戦争前史としての韓国独立運動の研究), 1985.

1. ^ Memorial working club for Kim Jwa-jin
2. ^ 청산리 전투는 한국 무장독립운동 사상 가장 빛나는 전과를 올린 대첩(大捷)으로 독립전사에 기록되어 있다. - Battle of Cheonhsnani - Naver encyclopedia
3. ^ 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 Kano on November 13, 1920 is a famous despotic Chosun.)