중경시기 대한민국 임시정부의 외교활동

Abstract

During Chongqing era 1940~1945, the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea actively developed diplomatic activities toward the allied nations and international conferences. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs took full charge of diplomatic activities. The Diplomacy Research Committee was founded as a subsidiary institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to research regulations and policies regarding diplomacy; and the Korean Commission was set up to cover diplomacy with the US. Besides, in Paris, France were Goryeo Correspondence Agency(高麗通信社) and its correspondents. The Provisional Government tried to engage in negotiations with China, the US, the UK, France, and so on, and to establish diplomatic relations with them. The nation that was most friendly and most closely related with was China. China had the head of organization of the Nationalist Party (Guomintang) take charge of the Provisional Government, and organized a special subcommittee to deal with the Korean matters. Through them the Provisional Government could negotiate with the Nationalist Party, the executive, and the military of China. The diplomatic relations with the US and the UK were unreciprocated. There was no way to negotiate with them. The Provisioanl Government set up the Korean Commission for negotiations and diplomacy with the US, and delegated Syngman Rhee with full authority. However, the US did not accepted it. Syngman Rhee could not do anything but indirectly negotiate by putting up some Americans who were his friends. There was no way to contact with the UK as well. Merely, some Korean Liberation Army personnels had military relations with the UK military by fighting against Japan in Indian-Burmese front. The relations with France were conducted through the French ambassador in China. Jo Soang, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, had frequent meetings with Pechcoff, the French ambassador in China. In the process, there was a comment that the French Government in Exile recognized the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. The Provisional Government declared it as an official establishment of diplomatic relation, and appointed Seo Yeonghae as the Korean Representative in France. However, France announced that though there were friendly relations with the personnels of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, there was nothing more than that; so neither an official recognition nor a diplomatic relation was achieved. The Provisional Government conducted enthusiastic diplomatic activities regarding tgheCairo Conference and the San Francisco Conference, and achieved the result that the Cairo Conference affirmed the independence of Korea after the war. The Provisional Government, getting informed that the Cairo Conference would be held, sent its Premier, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and 3 others to Jiang Jieshi and asked him to support and to accomplish the independence of Korea after the war. Jiang Jieshi promised that he would fight for the independence of Korea, though it was hard to achieve as the US and the UK asserted international joint supervision. Jiang Jieshi met Franklin D. Roosevelt and suggested him the free independence of Korea after the war, and derived his agreement. This agreement was included in the first draft of the Cairo Declaration. Regarding the first draft, in the working-staff negotiation process among the US, the UK, and China, the UK opposed the independence of Korea and even attempted to exclude it from the Declaration. Nonetheless, Wang Chonghui, a Chinese staff, strongly resisted it, and the US supported him. Indeed, the Cairo Declaration could include the content, “the aforesaid three great powers, mindful of the enslavement of the people of Korea, are determined that in due course Korea shall become free and independent.” It was the greatest achievement of the Provisional Government’s diplomatic activities.