SEOJAEPIL who fled to the U.S. after the failure of the Kapshin coup d'etat, organized the Independence Association (1896) and returned home. The Jeongdong Club which was organized by such diplomatic circle people as YUNCHIHO, LEESANGJAE, among others, and action level bureaucratic circle people as Namkoong Eok also were participated. In the beginning, it was started as a club-like venture for mainly government officials.

     Those high ranking officials were replaced eventually and the independence association was mainly led by the new intelligentsia of SEOJAEPIL, YUNCHIHO, LEESANGJAE among others, who were influenced by the western thought. Thereafter, the innovative Confucian force developed out of the Dongdo Clerk Faction such as NAMGUNGEOK and Chung Kyo joined. Other than those, Han Kyu-Seol who was a military officer of the reformative section and the capitalists who operated business firms or modern stock companies also participated.

     The independence association constructed the independence gate at the place where Youngeun-Gate once stood and built the independence hall and independence park by renovating Mohwakwan. The project was well received by the general public. The association got contributions from the royal family and government ministers. The organization created and used various types of social activities. The debating party was held, organ was published and a daily newspaper, "Independence News" was the unofficial organ. It was in pure HANGEUL, Korean letters, and served in a enlightening role.

     Due to the lively activities of the independence association, the Russian military instructor and finance advisor were recalled to their home country and the Korean-Russian Bank was shut down. King GOJONG was returned to KTEONGUNGUNG. The independence campaign reached its peak when the government and the people held a joint meeting at Jongno Square in October of 1898 (2nd year of Kwangmu). SEOJAEPIL left for the U.S. because he incurred the government's hatred, however, the spirit of independence association was not discouraged. By that meeting, six(6) clauses of recommendation to King GOJONG was resolved.

     The government arrested 17 key persons, including LEESANGJAE, at the same time the dissolution order was issued for the independence association since it instigates for the creation of a republican government by helping someone to be its president. The independence association demanded the release of the arrested by holding a whole nation joint meeting. The government, then, started terrorism like actions against the demonstrators by peddlers through the Imperial Association, a government patronized organization. And, dissolved the mob by military force and, therefore, the activity of the independence association was ended.

2) Social organizations

     Since the campaign by the independence association, many political and social organizations were organized and they mainly aroused the political and social consciousness of the intelligentsia, mainly in the cities, also the enlightenment campaign for the general public was lively engaged. The security society, competitive exhibition, the constitution studying society, the people's representation society and the Daehan strenuous efforts society were organized in 1908. These are good examples of the various organizations created.

     In 1907 (11th year of Kwangmu), the Society for Compensation of the National Debt was organized and a large scale national debt compensatory campaign was deployed. It was founded in DAEGU and then spread to every corner of the country including SEOUL. Especially, many such press agencies as the "DAEHANMAEILSINBO", the "Empire News", the "Empire Castle News" and the "Manse News" were aggressively dashed out for gaining of contributions. The Resident General's Office began to oppress them because of their anti-Japanese position and Yang Ki-Tak was arrested under the charge of embezzlement of the compensation.

     The first newspaper in Korea was the "HANGSEONG Ten-Day Report" (1883) published by PARKMUNGUK. It was published with the colaboration of the reformatists such as KIMOKGYUN. It was mainly a government printed matter gazette, however, it played a large role in the introduction of western culture including the current topics at home and abroad.

     The regular modern newspaper was begun by SEOJAEPIL. He founded the "Independence News" in first year of Keongyang (1868). It was published 3 times a week and developed into a daily publication and it exclusively used HANGEUL, Korean characters. The "HWANGSEONGSINMUN" which was founded by NAMGUNGEOK among others (1898) the paper that represent the innovative Confucianism faction. It was aimed at readers of the middle class or above and it was written in the mixed system of Korean and Chinese characters. The "EULSAJOYAK" was created in 1905. This newspaper reported the process in detail and contained the renowned editorial of "Weeping loudly and bitterly on this particular day" written by JANGJIYEON.

     Beside these, LEEJONGIL among others, published the "Empire News". In 1904, A Briton of Bethell founded the "DAEHANMAEILSINBO" with Yang Ki-Tak. It attacked the invasion conducted by Japan and advocated that is managed by Briton, who was in an alliance with Japan. It was published in a mixture of Korean & Chinese characters, however, for the general public, a HANGEUL version was also published, as well as, an English version. In 1906, SONBYEONGHUI and OSECHANG published the "Manse News" under the Chondokyo religion channel and the Daehan Association published the "DAEHANMINBO" in 1909.

     In 1907, the Resident Generals' Office enacted the newspaper law and oppressed their freedom of speech. On or about 1910, the "DAEHANMAEILSINBO" was only remaining newspaper and played the spokesman's role for the nation. It was changed to the "Everyday News" by bribing the Government-General after the annexation. Overseas there was the "Shinhan Minbo" in the U.S.A., and the "Haejo Sinmoon" in the Maritime Province which was published and delivered in that country, but it was prohibited in 1908.

4) Advocacy of cultural politics

     Because of the March 1 Independence Movement (1919), Japan could not help but change its colonial governing policy. They partially changed the colonial policy into so-called cultural politics by getting rid of the police administration under military police system up to then. According to the new policy, a civilian officer could also be appointed to be the Governor-General from the active army general and/or navy admiral, an ordinary police system would be employed in lieu of the military police-backed police administration, education would be generalized, the loosening of speech control and it permited the publication of Korean character newspaper.

     In reality, there were no changes and it provided that they only changed their methods. There was never a civilian officer who was appointed as the Governor-General. The police personnel was rather augmented with the ordinary police system. Prisons were additionally established and the number of political offenders arrested increased. The discrimination in the generalization of education was serious as usual. The "Dong-Ah Ilbo", the "JOSEONILBO", the "SIDAEILBO" etc. were founded, but it was nothing but a means to control speech. The inspections were strictly conducted.

     In a word, the cultural politics were only a fraudulent outer alleviation conducted due to world opinion and the colonial policy was not changed.

5) Nation erasure policy

     Japan entered the War in the Pacific (1941) following the Manchurian Incident (1931) and the Chinese-Japanese War (1937). The general national mobilization was executed at the same time to change to a wartime system from a quasi-wartime system. Many types of emergency measures were taken in Japan and much more serious measures were taken in the colony of Korea.

     The Japanese created the nation erasure policy, whose slogan was "Japan-JOSEON is one body". Every cultural activity of the nation was prohibited and the "DONGAILBO", the "JOSEONILBO" and the "Moon-jang" were discontinued from publishing. Key members of the JOSEON Linguistic Society were arrested. The writers were forced to write their works in Japanese and it was strongly urged to use Japanese at school or at home. The study of Korean history was regarded as dangerous and the activity of the "Jindan Society" was stopped. Koreans were forced to go worship at Japanese shrines. They also forced Koreans to change their names into Japanese ones.

     In addition, they forced the mobilization of food, raw materials and labor force. The rice was forcibly supplied and various metal appliances were forcibly contributed. Many Koreans were drafted to work in coal mines, logistical factories and frontline bases and had to be engaged in compulsory labor. Those who were forcibly taken to Japan numbered more than 700,000. Under the name of a "volunteer unit", young women were forcibly mobilized and forced to act as comfort woman at the frontline. Young Koreans were also drafted and mobilized into the military.