In Chosun, a movement for Koreans in Manchuria triggered the overseas Chinese exclusion and connected to a Chosun nationalist movement. In 1927 and 1931, two cases of the overseas Chinese exclusion were systematically caused by the Chosun nationalist camp. After the Manchurian Incident, the Chosun nationalist camp tried to establish a single representative organization of an ethnic group under the uncertain situation. To achieve this, they planned to use the overseas Chinese exclusion. This article is one of sequential analysis articles on cases of the overseas Chinese exclusion in 1920s and 1930s. The present article investigates how a Koreans in Manchuria relief movement was connected to the overseas Chinese exclusion after the outbreak of the Manchurian Incident in 1931 and also the effect on the formation and deconstruction of ‘the Council for Disaster of Korean in Manchuria’.
After the outbreak of the Manchurian Incident, the persecution of Chinese for Koreans in Manchuria caused damages in Koreans. Once the news on the fact of Koreans in Manchuria were every day introduced by newspaper, the Chosun people sympathized with Koreans in Manchurian an led Koreans in Manchuria relief movements all across the country. A Koreans in Manchuria relief movement was useful to attract attention of the Chosun people and concentrate them. Therefore, the nationalist camp actively used Koreans in Manchuria relief movements. Thus, groups of the nationalist camp were concentrated on October 27, 1931 to establish ‘the Council for Disaster of Korean in Manchuria’.
After the Manchurian Incident appeared, the Chinese Consulate General and the Japanese Government-General of Korea paid attention to prevention of the recurrence of the overseas Chinese exclusion in July 1931. While the Koreans in Manchuria relief movements were appearing all across the country, the systematic overseas Chinese exclusion by a Chosun nationalist camp was not performed but great and small movements of overseas Chinese exclusion were continuously appeared during a Koreans in Manchuria relief movement. Despite the small-scale overseas Chinese exclusion in some areas, it was not sharply spread due to active responses of the Japanese police. A Koreans in Manchuria relief movement and most of movements of overseas Chinese exclusion were early repressed by quick management of the Chinese Consulate General and active responses of the Japanese police. Menawhile, each social organization in Chosun had a different interest and their own identity was strengthened after taking their course following the Manchurian Incident and therefore ‘the Council for Disaster of Korean in Manchuria’ was not converted to a single representative organization. In addition, Japan did not condone the use of a movement for Koreans in Manchuria for Chosun nationalist movements any more after conclusion of the Manchuria situation after the Manchurian Incident and actively crack down on the establishment of a single representative organization.
The overseas Chinese exclusion was caused by the necessity of the Chosun nationalist camp and onlooking Japan. However, Japan pushfully responded this time because anti-Japanese sentiments of China could be worsened to increase the burden if the overseas Chinese exclusion appears in Chosun again after the Manchurian Incident. When there was a dispute about Manchuria between Japan and China, a dispute between Koreans and Chinese was advantageous for Japan. However, after occupying Manchuria, a dispute between Koreans and Chinese was not advantageous any more because it could cause unnecessary friction. The Japanese police early blocked Chosun nationalist movements with a Koreans in Manchuria slogan allowed within the limit not harming the public order of Japan because they thought that an activity space of the Chosun nationalist camp could be extended. In addition, they also actively cracked down on the overseas Chinese exclusion. Due to active responses of Japan, a single representative organization which had been continuously tried in Chosun was not succeeded and the collective and systematic overseas Chinese exclusion using issues on Koreans in Manchuria had not appeared any more.