해방 이전 정운수의 생애와 독립운동

Abstract

The primary focus of this paper is to illuminate the life and contributions of Chung Woonsoo(鄭雲樹) to the Korean independence movement and explore its significance. The period that this study focuses on is from 1903, when he was born, to right after the liberation of Korea in 1945. Chung was educated predominantly at Protestant schools during the Japanese colonial era and further pursued theological studies in the United States.
 His activism gained prominence during the Asia-Pacific War. Chung discerned the intricate link between the culmination of World War II and the restoration of Korean sovereignty. As a response, he fervently engaged in independence efforts in both America and China.
 In Washington, D.C., Chung played various roles in the Korean Commission, aiding Syngman Rhee. He embarked on campaigns to secure support and empathy from Americans for the Korean independence cause and spearheaded initiatives to highlight Korea’s quest for autonomy within the American public sphere.
 In 1944, Chung was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army. Subsequently, he was dispatched to China via Burma and assigned to the U.S.
 14th Air Force in 1945. During this tenure, he took part in ‘The Eagle Project’, a collaborative endeavor between the Korean Independence Army(KIA) and the U.S. Office of Strategic Services(OSS). His responsibilities fostering KIA-OSS military collaborations, training communications for KIA’s Second Detachment members, and orchestrating advance operations into Korea.
 Chung’s dedication to the independence movement was unwavering. Heemployed a gamut of strategies(from diplomacy and propaganda to direct armed resistance) in his relentless pursuit to end Japanese oppression and reinstate Korea’s sovereignty. Even though the anticipated advance operation into Korea did not materialize, Chung’s instrumental role in bolstering the collaboration between the KIA and OSS undeniably elevated the stature of both the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and the KIA.