• The Change of Administrative Districts
  
• The 3.1 Independence Movement in 1919
  and the Manse Movement of the Goryeong Region
  
• The Paris Petition Incident and Goryeong
  
• The Establishment of the Yimna Monument of Governor-General Minami and the Bringing Korean Relics to Japan

Goryeong during the Japanese Imperialism Period

• The Change of Administrative Districts

Japanese imperialists changed and integrated the names, places and sub-organizations of bu and gun by so called the Government-General Act No. 111 which was executed from March 1st of 1914. Bu and gun were the main administrative districts for a long time. Japan incorporated and reorganized them to effectively dominate Korea.

As a result, Goryeong-gun which controlled 26 bangs before the Act was reorganized to nine myeons (Goryong-myeon, Deokgok-myeon, Wunsu-myeon, Seongsan-myeon, Dasan-myeon, Gaejin-myeon, Ugok-myeon, Yimcheon-myeon and Ssangdong-myeon) and ninety seven dongs. This administrative district was kept until 1930 when the Japanese imperialists executed the second reorganization of local institution. At that time, Ssangdong-myeon and Yimcheon-myeon were integrated into a new myeon, Ssanglim-myeon. The total number of myeons belonging to Goryeong-gun became nine.

During this period, head of gun was Gunsu. He executed ordinances after receiving commands from Dojisa. Also, he managed the administrative affairs in his region and directed and supervised the men under his command. There were myeons under a gun. Myeonjang (the representative of myeon), took charge of the administrative affairs of myeon.

From 1912, myeon came to be able to collect taxes so as to allot expenses necessary for the affairs of myeon. In 1917, myeon came to be able to deal with affairs relating to agriculture, livestock raising, transportation, drinking water, sanitation and fire fighting.

In 1920, the Goryeong-myeon Council was established. This organization consisted of president and members. The council was an advisory organization to present a written opinion on public services to Myeonjang or the authorities concerned.

After the 3?1 Independence Movement in 1919, Japanese imperialists changed their colonial policy from military domination to cultural domination. The council institution as a part of such a policy had an intention which partly guarantees the suffrage of residents. However, its membership was limited to rich people who can pay taxes of more than five wons. Accordingly, this institution was no more than a deceitful policy.

• The 3.1 Independence Movement in 1919 and the Manse Movement of the Goryeong Region

The 3.1 Independence Movement in 1919 broke out nation-wide. In the late March of 1919, the Goryeong region was also involved in the movement. Many public-spirited men were arrested and imprisoned. They include: Choi Gyeong-hyeon in Maechon-ri of Ssanglim-myeon, Bae Gi-seok in Wonsong-ri of Deokgok-myeon, Park Jae-pil and Park Chae-hwan in Yangjeong-ri of Ugok-myeon, Park Gi-ro in Dojin-ri of Ugok-myeon.

• The Paris Petition Incident and Goryeong

In the middle of the Independence Movement in 1919, Confucian scholars in Korea raised an independence petition movement which is called the Parijangseo-sageon (the incident resulted from a long letter which was drawn up to appeal Korea’s independence and which was sent to Paris). The 137 Confucian scholars who represent each region tried to appeal Korea’s independence by sending a long letter to Paris. Among them, several persons, including Gwak Jong-seok, Kim Chang-suk and Jang Seok-yeong, represented the Yeongnam region.

Although this petition movement unfolded was nation-wide, its central persons were the Confucian scholars in the Yeongnam region, especially Gyeongsangbuk-do. This is shown by the fact that 60 persons among them came from Gyeongsangbuk-do. Their petition movement resulted from the strong thought of independence, attempts to take revenge for their king and to restore their lost country.

Kim Chang-suk brought the letter to Shanghai via Seoul, Manchuria and Yeonhaeju around March of 1919. This letter was sent from Shanghai to Kim Gyu-sik who was working for the Korean diplomatic office in Paris. Its original text was also translated in English by Yun Hyeon-geun and was delivered to the head of the Paris Peace Conference and the diplomatic offices of many countries in Paris. The document drawn up in both Korean and Chinese were sent to China and Hyanggyos (public Confucian shrine-academies) in Korea.

The whole aspect of the incident was revealed as Song Heui-geun, who led the movement in the Seongju marketplace, was arrested on April 2nd of 1919. Hereupon, Gwak Jong-seok, Jang Seok-yeong and Song Jun-pil were arrested and sent to the Daegu Jail.

• The Establishment of the Yimna Monument of Governor-General Minami and the Bringing Korean Relics to Japan

On April 29th of 1939, Minami, the Governor-General of Joseon, erected a monument made of big natural stones in a place nearby the Goryeong Hyanggyo (public Confucian shrine-academy). He engraved the letters “Yimna-daegayaguk-seongji” on the monument. He also drove a notice board, “Yimna-ilbonbuji”, into the north hill site of the Gwaneumsa. They were endeavors for making an argument as an established fact. The argument is “Yimna-ilbonbuseol” that in the ancient period Daegaya of Goryeong was governed by Japan.

The Government-General also mobilized many Japanese archeologists and experts concerned to excavate the Jisan-dong Mounded Tomb Group where the tomb of Geumlimwang is included. They exhumed thousands of relics, including gold and sliver personal ornaments, pottery and weapons.

In 1938, they established the Goryeong-gojeok-bojonwhoe (the Association for the Preservation of Old Sites in Goryeong). They exhibited some of these relics in the Mudeokgwan of the Goryeong Police Department and propagandized that these relics verify that Japanese people and Joseon people were originated from the same ancestor. The above facts show that the Japanese imperialists tried to prove the argument that in the ancient times Japan dominated the south area of the Korean peninsula as its colony.

On the other hand, the numerous relics excavated in the Jisan-dong Mounded Tomb Group were sent to Japan. In those days, it was Ogura who most enthusiastically collected the relics of the Daegaya period. He graduated from the Law School of Tokyo University. In 1911, he established Daegu Electrical Supply Company. In 1935, he set up Joseon Joint Electrical Supply Company and became the president of it.

He brought national treasure level of relics illegally excavated or collected in the Gaya region ― especially in Goryeong ― to Japan. He organized the Association for the Preservation of Ogura Collection. He built a private museum in his hometown (Jiba-hyeon) and preserved his collection there. After 1981 when he died his relics of Daegaya were donated to the Tokyo National Museum.

Arguing that Japan and Joseon was a single body, Japan attempted to eliminate the root, ancient history and original cultural traditions of Korean people. From the Daegaya period, the Jusan Shrine where the sacrificial rite for the mountain god was performed was situated on the mid-slope of the Jusan, the guard mountain of Goryeong. The Japanese imperialists did away with the shrine on the ground of its superstitious character.

In 1936 when the restoration work after the flood was carried out, they demolished the stone materials of the ice storehouse made of stone and used them for reconstruction of the Ori Bank. Such behaviour also stemmed from their intention of eliminating the remains. In addition, they used to shoot water guns filled with blue dye at villagers who were flocking to the marketplace. Such action aimed to destroy the soul of Korean people who love white clothes.


Goryeong during the American Military Administration Period

On August 15th of 1945, Korean people obtained liberation after enormous sacrifices. However, since the liberation was brought by powerful countries, the future of Korean people was not bright. They were unable to determine and exploit their lives according to their own will.

The situation of Korean people was more serious because of the different ideologies of the allied armies which consisted of the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. The Soviet Union army and the U.S. army occupied the upper and lower areas of the 38°parallel, respectively. As a result, the opposition and conflict between the left and right wings came to recur.

The extreme opposition and clash between the two wings was a nation-wide phenomenon. Especially, the 10ㆍ1 incident happened in Daegu nearby Goryeong was a result from that conflict. This incident agitated the Namnodang (a communist party) and the left wing forces in Goryeong. They flocked to the crossroad where the Goryeong-gun Office and the Goryeong Police Department were situated and threatened them.

Some of them entered the Office and demonstrated, demanding grains. Another group went to the Goryeong branch office which was dealing with food-related affairs and claimed the release of the storehouse rices. However, the Goryeong incident unlike the Daegu incident did not develop into a violent situation.

The conflict between the left and right wings in Goryeong was not serious. Although some people belonged to the left wing which followed Park Heon-yeong, they did not form an organized force. Some youth and adults participated in the left wing movement, but none of them were familiar with communist theory or had a career as a communist.

In those days, Song Un who reigned as head of the Goryeong Police Department between 1947 and 1948 tried to elicit harmony of the local residents through sporting events. As a result, in the Goryeong region the mood of co-existence between the two wings rather than that of conflict was comparatively strong.

The Special Investigation Committee of Anti-National Action and Goryeong

On May 10th of 1948, the general election was carried out and the government of the Republic of Korea was established. At that time the first task of the government was to liquidate the past, to punish anti-national actors.

In December of 1948, the government announced the Punishment Law on Anti-National Action and organized the Special Investigation Committee of Anti-National Action. Kim Sang-deok who was a parliament member for Goryeong was appointed head of the Committee. He was a leading person of the Provisional Government in Shanghai and fought for Korea’s independence in China.

During the American military administration period he worked as a member of both the Legislative House and the Headquarter of National Unification. Kim Sang-deok as head of the committee actively investigated those pro-Japan people who cooperated with Japan, persecuted independence movement activists or their families and did harm to co-ethnic people.

However, the committee was nearly forcibly disintegrated by those people who had a pro-Japan career and Lee Seung-man who was connected with them. As a result, the endeavor for the establishment of a fair and equitable national spirit through the punishment of pro-Japan people resulted in failure and the aftermath has remained until nowadays.

The 6.25 War and Goryeong

On June 25th of 1950, the communist army of North Korea invaded South Korea. Hangang Bridge was destroyed and Seoul was handed over to the communist army three days later. The government of the Republic of Korea retreated to Daejeon, and then Daegu. The communist army occupied Daejeon and went down to the Yeongnam region and the Honam region. The community army, which went to the Honam region, had little faced with any resistance and swept away all the area. Of the army, the Fourth Division came to Goryeong on August 2nd via Jinan, Jangsu and Hapcheon.

At that time, through the cannonade from the Hapcheon direction Goryeong-eup people sensed the fact that the communist army was approaching. They were waiting for the official announcement from the government. The Goryeong Police Department ordered the local residents to do as follows: “Keep the present residential area and do not move to other places. And do not take out properties, such as household effects.”

However, most of those officials who worked for the Goryeong-gun Office and Police Department took refuge with the American army to Daegu via Seongsan. Also, numerous people, including influential figures and leading class in the town, approached the Nakdonggang Iron Bridge after detouring Gaejin-myeon. However, the iron bridge was already destroyed by the American Engineer Corps on August 3rd. Some young men succeeded in crossing the river, but almost all of the refugees could not help returning to their original residential areas.

From this time, Goryeong-gun was under the domination of the communist army until late September when it retreated from here. The army installed its headquarter and the Council of People’s Commission in Jeojeon-dong of Goryeong-gun. After mobilizing youth and adults and organizing the self-governing corps, the army ordered it to punish the right wing people, to forcibly forage for food, to supply livestock and to carry bombs and weapons.

Also, the army forcibly convened the teachers of elementary, middle and high schools and intellectuals to Wonsong-ri in Deokgok-myeon so as to instruct communist theory and to carry out indoctrination education. During the occupation of the communist army, Goryeong-gun was bombed by the American Air Force many times. At that time, government office buildings, including the Goryeong-gun Office and Police Department, and around 700 general houses were destroyed by the bombing attacks.

The Incheon Landing Operations succeeded on September 15th. The communist army in South Korea began an all-out retreat. Accordingly, the communist army in Goryeong also withdrew. The officials of the Goryong-gun Office and Police Department came back and retook their functions. They undertook the arrangement and restoration work of the town.

During the Korean War, 712 servicemen from Goryeong, including Lieutenant Colonel Park Su-heon, and 20 policemen, including Inspector Kim Byeong-dal, were killed. Nowadays, the mortuary tablets of those fallen in the war, including Lieutenant Colonel Choi Jong-bae, are installed in the tower to the loyal dead on the foot of the Jusan.

The 8.18 Raid Incident of Communist Guerrillas

After the 9ㆍ28 Seoul Restoration, the most important and urgent work was to disentangle the chaos due to the war. Of course, the emergency restoration of public facilities, such as road, bridge and running supply, was urgently needed, but the most urgent thing was to ensure security. The communist guerrillas who acted in the mountainous regions before the Korean War remained after the war. Hence, the police devoted all their energies to ferret them out and subdue them.

On August 18th of 1951 at night several scores of communist guerrillas who came over the Jusan encamped the Goryeong Hyanggyo (public Confucian shrine-academy) and began to fire guns. In those days the Goryeong Police Department was using the Goryeong Agricultural Co-operative as its temporary office. The armed police responded to their firing by shooting from the roof of the building.

During the gunfight which continued for over one hour, some of the guerrillas assaulted and set fire to the house of Jeong Nam-taek, the head of the Goryeong-gun Branch of Daehan-cheongyeondan (the Korean Youth Corps). The house was entirely destroyed by the fire. Others, who disguised themselves as merchants, hanged around, and then invaded the Goryeong-gun Office and Goryeong-myeon Office in order to kidnap and assassinate the leading figures, such as the head of the gun.

However, these communist guerrillas were soon driven out by the police force. They escaped in Jusan direction. The Goryeong-gun Office was partly burnt. Kim Ui-gap, head of the Goryeong Post Office, was shot and killed. Hong Sun-yeong, a policeman, was also killed.

The Present Situation of Goryeong

Goryeong was promoted as eup on May 1st of 1979. Before and after this period its streets were rapidly constructed. In 1980 the basic structure of Goryeong was nearly completed. Goryeong has endeavored to become a rural community which is rich and good to live in. Due to such a purpose, its appearance rapidly changed. Another factor also greatly influences the development of Goryeong, a small town 34 km away from the southwest of Deagu: Goryeong has to partly solve the housing problem of Daegu and to accept a part of its industrial functions.

In 1979, Goryeong-gun improved town districts, buildings and markets. Of these, the biggest part of the budget was cast into the improvement of buildings, and thus the appearance of the central districts completely changed. The total length of roads of Goryeong-gun is 122.5km. In the early 1960s, all the roads were unpaved. In 1979 (when Goryeong-myeon was promoted as Goryeong-eup), 27km and in 1984 115km were clearly paved.

On June 27th of 1994, the Goryeong-gun Office and other government offices in Jisan-ri were reconstructed or extended. The appearance of the town districts thus became brighter and their performance of administrative tasks became more efficient. In addition, the structure and content of industry was also developed to an advanced form. From the 1970s when industrialization was rapidly proceeding, productivity and profit came to the fore as a big problem. Many self-sufficient farmers were transformed into commercial farmers. The big innovation happened in the agricultural economy.

Several grains, such as barley, wheat and rye, which were commonly implanted in the 1960s became not to be grown any longer. Also, other crops, including spring onion, peanut, scrubber, sericulture and cotton, which were special products of Goryeong in the early 1970s and which needed a lot of labor, greatly decreased or were not planted any longer.

They were replaced by the equipment cultivation which raises strawberries, melons and watermelons which nowadays have become the special products of this region. In the season when these crops are produced, diverse festivals are held to advertise them and to promote the sale of them.

In the Goryeong region medicinal crops, including raw rehmannia glutinosa and ginger, are widely grown. In particular, 50 medicinal crops which have long been grown in the Dasan region are nation wide famous for their quality and output. Yakchojohap (the Medicinal Crops Association) in Dasan which was established in March of 1941 had its office within Yangyeongsi (the Drug Market) in Daegu. This association had a membership of 400 in the 1960s and dealt actively with the market. It was in December of 1980 that the association was disintegrated.

On the other hand, Goryeong is a traffic center which links Daegu to Gyeongsangnam-do. Since Goryeong is easily connected with the industrial base of the Daegu area, it can plan the balanced local development by building agriculture and industry complexes in several places. This makes the local economy rich and has an effect to curb the influx of rural population into urban areas. Several agriculture and industry complexes in Ssanglim-myeon, Gaejin-myeon and Dasan-myeon have produced good quality products, such as fiber, machinery, food and casting. Golf-club, fishing rod and fiber are exported to several foreign countries. Their good quality has been recognized internationally. The joint market for livestock products and its related-companies have greatly contributed to the revenue of Goryeong-gun.
In addition, since Goryeong, as the royal capital of Daegaya, is a historic town it can utilize such an advantage. A high quality of pottery, ceramic ware and tile are produced in the kiln sites in Gisan-ri and Naegok-ri. The Daegaya pottery which has completely been restored became a representative special product of the Goryeong region.

Goryeong has a pride as the royal capital of Daegaya. It has developed its excellent local culture and has tried to harmonize the traditional industry with the frontier industry.