United States Army Military Government in Korea
| United States Army Military Government in Korea | ||||||||||
| 재조선 미육군 사령부 군정청 | ||||||||||
| Military occupation / transitional government | ||||||||||
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 Location of the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula.
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| Capital | Seoul | |||||||||
| Languages | Korean | |||||||||
| Political structure | Military occupation / transitional government | |||||||||
| Military Governor | ||||||||||
| • | Sep 1945 – Dec 1945 | Archibald V. Arnold | ||||||||
| • | Dec 1945 – Sep 1947 | Archer L. Lerch | ||||||||
| • | Oct 1947 – Aug 1948 | William F. Dean | ||||||||
| • | Aug 1948 – Jun 1949 | Charles G. Helmick | ||||||||
| Historical era | Cold War | |||||||||
| • | Surrender of Japan | 15 August 1945 | ||||||||
| • | US troops stationed in South Korea | 8 September 1945 | ||||||||
| • | Autumn Uprising | October 1946 | ||||||||
| • | South Korean general election | 10 May 1948 | ||||||||
| • | Republic of Korea established | 15 August 1948 | ||||||||
| Currency | Won | |||||||||
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The United States Army Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK; Korean: 재조선 미육군 사령부 군정청; Hanja: 在朝鮮美陸軍司令部軍政廳) was the official ruling body of the southern half of the Korean Peninsula from September 8, 1945 to August 15, 1948.
The country in this period was plagued by political and economic chaos, which arose from a variety of causes. The aftereffects of the Japanese occupation were still felt in the occupation zone, as well as in the Soviet zone in the North. Popular discontent stemmed from the U.S. Military Government's support of the Japanese colonial government; then once removed, keeping the former Japanese governors on as advisors; by ignoring, censoring and forcibly disbanding the functional and popular People's Republic of Korea (PRK); and finally by supporting United Nations elections that divided the country.
In addition, the U.S. military was largely unprepared for the challenge of administering the country, arriving with no knowledge of the language or political situation. Thus, many of their policies had unintended destabilizing effects. Waves of refugees from North Korea (estimated at 400,000) and returnees from abroad also helped to keep the country in turmoil.
The short-lived People's Republic of Korea had been established in August, in consultation with Japanese authorities, and quickly spread throughout the country. The U.S. Military Government outlawed it in the South shortly after their arrival. The leader of the People's Republic, Yeo Un-hyeong, stepped down and formed the Working People's Party. The U.S. administration also refused to recognize the members of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, led by Kim Ku, who were obliged to enter the country as private citizens.
After the surrender of the Empire of Japan to the Allies, division at the 38th parallel marked the beginning of Soviet and American command over the North and South, respectively. U.S. forces landed at Incheon on September 8, 1945, and established a military government shortly thereafter. The forces landing at Incheon were of the XXIV Corps of the U.S. Tenth Army. They were commanded by Lt. General John R. Hodge, who then took charge of the government. Four days before he arrived in Korea, Hodge told his officers that Korea "was an enemy of the United States".
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Wikipedia