대한민국 임시정부의 공군 건설 계획과 추진

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to observe how ROK Provisional Government planned the Air Force and progressed it in the history of Korean independent movement. This study will help people find the origin of Korean Air Force with historical basis. At the beginning of the Korean Provisional government establishment, it was not supposed to have its own Air Force; however, air squadron was formed within the army and navy. The government planned to train some talented people through an aviation school. The first case was the establishment and management of Willows aviation school to provide well trained pilots. The experience that people had managed the Willows aviation school was able to motivate Provisional Government not to give up the vision of the foundation of the Air Force. As Kuomintang of China in Nanjing government was interested in the Korean independent movement and began supporting it in earnest after the patriotic deed of Yun Bong-Gil in 1932, Kim Ku tried to seek the way for the foundation of the Air Force with the help of China. However, it was just his idea that did not really carried out. People had tried to found the way of building for Air Force right after the establishment of the Korean Independent Army. They started organizing an Air Force design committee within the Korean Independence Army, also enacting its ordinance, and researching how to set up the Air Force concretely. As a result, Provisional Government planned to build the Air Force with the help of the army of the United States. It could help Provisional Government push forward the Korea-U.S joint military drill and simultaneously try to negotiate the foundation of its Air Force with the United States. Before they got any tangible results, they could not proceed it anymore because of the declaration of Japanese surrender. Being developed centering on Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, a series of plan and design and an incessant trial for founding the Air Force was persistently propelled form the early part of the establishment of Provisional Government to right before independence. We can tell the foundation of the Korean Air Force was not an abrupt one but a historic achievements which contained the strong determination and constant exertions of Provisional Government toward setting up of the Air Force if we understand the historical context of it and inherit its meaning. By doing it, we can solve clues of the origin of the Korean Air Force and secure its legitimacy from now on.