1939: Korea (Chosen)

Korea (Chosen) occupies a peninsula extending from Northeastern Asia about 500 miles in the Yellow Sea on the west and the Sea of Japan in the east. To the north lie Manchukuo, and to the extreme northeast Siberia. Since Aug. 22, 1939, when it was formally annexed, Chosen has been part of the Japanese Empire; prior to that time it was the Empire of Tai Han. It has a total area of 85,228 sq. mi. Its population in 1938 numbered 22,355,485, of whom some 21,000,000 were Koreans, 500,000 Japanese, and 50,000 foreigners. The capital is Seoul (Keijo), located near the central west coast.

The most important agricultural crop is rice, of which about 4,888,000 metric tons were grown in 1937. Other crops are barley, wheat, potatoes, corn, hemp, soybeans, tobacco, apples and pears. Livestock is extensively raised, particularly cattle, goats, and swine. Fishing and whaling are important industries. The chief minerals are gold, iron, coal, graphite, molybdenum, mica and wolfram. Industry has been well developed during the last few years, although the territory is still predominantly agricultural. Total exports in 1938 were valued at about $246,519,000; total imports at $295,619,000. Chosen is administered by a governor-general, who has extremely wide powers.

During 1939 the Koreans continued to show opposition to Japanese rulers. Koreans fought in the Chinese army as a separate unit against Japan for the first time on April 6, 1939. On April 13, the Japanese News Agency reported a raid on Kankyo Province in northern Korea by 150 Koreans who then fled to Manchukuo. Several villages were attacked, and the raiders carried off captives and loot. On May 28, the first body of Korean volunteers in the Japanese army was sent to the front. Japan had previously refused to accept Korean volunteers owing to the danger of hostile acts within the army.