Abstract

Since the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, in South Korea, the March 1st Movement was recalled as the ground supporting ‘the Reunification of North Korea and South Korea’, or more accurately, ‘Marching North Campaign’ along with the confirmation of the legitimacy of the Government of the Republic of Korea. Like the people fought against Japanese Imperialism at the time of the March 1st Movement, now, it may be a suggestion for fighting against ‘North Korean Regime’ and ‘the Communist Camp’ to regain the lost territory and rescue Korean people. As Japan’s Plan for the Repatriation of Koreans in Japan to North Korea was known in early 1959, National Day March 1st of 1959 right after that became the stage of a large-scale ‘anti-Japanese’ campaign’ unlike before. So was National Day March 1st of 1960, the following year. On the other hand, since the mid-1950s, the March 1st Movement began being combined with ‘democracy,’ too. The combination of March 1st Movement with democracy was natural. This is because the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea born as a result of the March 1st Movement adopted ‘Democratic Republicanism,’ and the Government of the Republic of Korea founded in 1948, too, declared ‘Democratic Republic’ succeeding the March 1st Movement and the legal tradition of the Provisional Government. As the dictatorship of the Syngman Rhee Regime and Liberal Party became severer, in the democratization movements against that, the March 1st Movement was recalled as an important source of legitimacy. the competition between the memory of the March 1st Movement recalled for the dominant discourses of the Syngman Rhee Regime, ‘Anti-communism and Anti-Japanese’ Campaigns and the memory of the March 1st Movement recalled in the process of asking for ‘democracy’ against the dictatorship of the Syngman Rhee Regime appeared obvious, having ‘the March 15th Election’ in 1960.

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