사할린지역 한인 귀환교섭과 억류

Abstract

About forty thousand Koreans lived in Sakhalin toward Korea's liberation,however, the direction of their repatriation was determined by the negotiation between GHQ/SCAP (the General Headquarters/Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers) which represented the United States and the Soviet Union. The United States which put its order of priority on the occupation of Japan sequentially proceeded with its repatriation plan from japan, China and the Soviet Union. The negotiation of Koreans in Sakhalin proceeded in the subtle frame of cooperation and check of USꠏRussia negotiations which was followed from the period of the Pacific War. GHQ/SCAP officially proposed the mutual repatriation of Japanese and Koreans in North Korea and Japan on the 23rd of April, 1946. And then followꠏup meetings were held and USꠏRussia Agreement on "Repatriation of Japanese Nationals from Soviet and Soviet Controlled Territories, and of Koreans from Japan to Korea North of 38°North Latitude" was concluded on the 19th of December, 1946. According to this agreement, most of Japanese returned to their country, however, the repatriation of Koreans was excluded. According to USꠏRussia Agreement, the U. S. set basic preconditions regarding the repatriation of Koreans in the Soviet and Soviet controlled territories. First of all, the repatriates should be prisoners of war and be limited to Japanese nationals and movement between Japan and the Soviet and Soviet controlled territories. Meanwhile, regarding Koreans as a means of restoration after the Second World War, the Soviet had proposed a mutual exchange of Koreans between Sakhalin and North Korea and Japan. The U. S. took the stance of a spectator in response to such a request of the Soviet. What is worse, the United States Army Military Government in Korea felt burdened about the repatriation of Koreans and had showed its negative view. The repatriation of Korean prisoners of war in Siberia and others together with Japanese prisoners of war began from May, 1948. As the news of the terrible scene of Koreans detained in the Soviet Union and other areas delivered to Korea, public opinion to save them was aroused. After the establishment of the Government of the Republic of Korea in August, 1948,the campaign for the repatriation of Koreans officially proceeded. The National Assembly filed a petition to the government to save Koreans detained in Sakhalin and the Kuril islands. The Korean government made a request to GHQ/SCAP through the Korean mission to Japan for the repatriation of Koreans in Sakhalin. As the Soviet Union didn't approve Korea, GHQ/SCAP asked Korea to search for another arbitrator and actually refused Korea's request. In the end, The repatriation of Koreans in the Soviet territory continued to drift under the constraint of the Cold War.