• Korea and Global Affairs
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.45-68
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• 2018

This study is focused on viewing the March 1st Movement, a national movement uprisen nationwide during the Japanese occupation period, and women's independence movement from an angle of worldpeace. The March 1st Movement was held nationwide when our national sovereignty was lost, and it can be defined as a form of peace movement in view of world history. Particularly, the March 1st Movement was the people's independence movement without distinction of class, region and sex. The direction of national independence and freedom implied in the independence movement during that time period needs to be interpreted newly in view of world peace. Firstly, the urgent task to complete during that period was to accomplish independence in view of the times and the national people, and it was a form of peace movement. Secondly, the women who participated in the March 1st Movement changed into spontaneous participants or activists for the national independence movement and, thereafter, continued a history of women's independence movement of Korea. Lastly, the March 1st Movement became widespread domestically and to foreign countries such as China, Japan, Russia, Europe and America, so that its spirit of freedom and peace appealed to the weak countries in Asia. Furthermore, it worked as a spiritual support for the independence movement of Korea. As mentioned above, the March 1st Movement needs to be newly understood in view of world peace, and, out of that movement, Korean women's independence movement deserves a highlight as a peace movement stream in the world history of women.