Battle of Pochonbo

Part of the Japanese occupation of Korea

The battle depicted in the Grand Monument in Samjiyon, Samjiyon County

Date	4 June 1937
Location	Pochon County, Ryanggang Province, Korea (now the Democratic People's Republic of Korea)
Result	Anti-Japanese victory

Belligerents

Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army

Japan

Commanders and leaders

Kim Il Sung

Unknown

Units involved

Kim Il Sung's Division

Unknown

Strength

Hundreds

Casualties and losses

Minimal

Heavy

The Battle of Pochonbo was an event which occurred in northern Korea on 4 June 1937 (Juche 26), commanded by Kim Il-sung (or possibly Choe Hyon), during the anti-Japanese armed struggle in Korea. The battle holds an important place in North Korean narratives of history.

According to pro-North Korean sources, the battle was in retaliation to the brutality of the Japanese occupation of Korea at a time when "the Japanese imperialists perpetrated unheard-of fascist tyranny against the Korean people." Kim Il-sung crossed the Amnok River and arrived at the Konjang Hill on 3 June 1937. At 22:00, Kim Il-sung fired a shot into the sky, and the battle started. During the battle, the Japanese-occupied police station, post office, foresters' office and fire department hall were destroyed by the northern Korean army.

Kim Il-sung subsequently made a speech, where he noted that the Korean people "turn out as one in the sacred anti-Japanese war." The battle is featured in Kim Il-sung's autobiography With the Century. In it, too, Kim describes his guerrilla troops acting spontaneously and motivated by emotion rather than reason and strategic insights. In it, he said of the event:

The Battle of Pochonbo showed that imperialist Japan could be smashed and burnt up, like rubbish. The flames over the night sky of Pochonbo in the fatherland heralded the dawn of the liberation of Korea, which had been buried in darkness. The Pochonbo Battle was a historic battle which not only showed to the Korean people who thought Korea to be dead that Korea is not dead but alive, but also gave them the confidence that when they fight, they can achieve national independence and liberation.

The news of the battle was reported in numerous newspapers across the world, including the Soviet Union, China, Japan and France.

The battle site is situated at Pochon County, Ryanggang Province at the Kusi Barrage on Kojang Hill.

...
Wikipedia