Japanese abductee escaped Korean Communist guerrillas in 1939 and told police about meeting Kim Il-sung and his comrades, many of whom were women

This is a short article from 1939 where a Japanese abductee escaped captivity from Korean Communist Guerrillas to tell the Japanese police in Ranam, Korea about meeting Kim Il-sung and his comrades, many of whom were women.

[Translation]

Gyeongseong Ilbo June 3, 1939

Astonished by Female Bandits

Kim Il-sung was a Gentleman

A Kidnap Victim Shares His Experience

[Telephone Report from Ranam] On the 22nd of last month, a person who had been kidnapped by bandits in the jurisdiction of the Samjang Police Station returned and spoke about the interesting inner workings of the bandits, based on his experiences of living with them deep in the mountains for over ten days.

One surprising thing was the presence of many female bandits among them, not just men as he had initially thought. These people are primarily ethnic Koreans from the Gando region and usually handle cooking and sewing for the bandits.

It was unique that they cook rice in a washbasin, but it was also surprising that they skillfully made Western clothes and combat hats using a proper hand-operated sewing machine. All of them uniformly expressed nostalgia for their homeland and said they wanted to return to Korea as soon as possible.

He met the leader who introduced himself as Kim Il-sung. Kim was a fair-skinned, good-looking man in his thirties, about 5 shaku and 5 or 6 sun tall (167 to 170 cm tall). He was bald, wore a combat hat, dressed in brown woolen clothes, and wore jika-tabi footwear.

[Transcription]

京城日報 1939年6月3日

女匪賊に吃驚

金日成とは、やさ男

被拉致者の見聞談

【羅南電話】去る二十二日三長警察署管内で匪賊に拉致されたものが帰ってきて密林の奥深く匪賊とともに暮らした十余日間の経験に基き興味ある彼等の内幕を次の如く語っている。

匪賊は男だけかと思ったらどうして驚いたことは、沢山の女匪賊がいることである。彼等は主に間島出身の鮮人でいつもは匪賊の炊事と針仕事をやっている。

洗面器で飯を焚いているのも珍しいが、立派な手ミシンをもっていて器用に洋服や戦闘帽などを作っているのも驚かされた。彼らは皆一様に国が懐かしい、早く朝鮮に帰りたいとこぼしていた。

自分は頭目の金日成だというのに逢ったが彼はまだ三十位の色の白い優男で身長は五尺五六寸、頭は丸坊主で戦闘帽を冠り、茶色の羅紗服をきて地下足袋を穿いていた。

Source: https://archive.org/details/kjnp-1939-06-03/page/n10/mode/1up

Copy of news article at the Internet Archive.

Note: I also photographed a copy of the article in the National Library of Korea. Since the newspaper copies from the Internet Archive and the National Library of Korea were different, comparing and contrasting the smudged and blurred newsprint in both copies helped me decipher the text.

Copy of news article photographed at the National Library of Korea.

Korea in November 1945 was beset by rampant inflation, which the Koreans editors of newly liberated Keijo Nippo blamed on ‘Korean traitors’ and departing Japanese who liquidated their property and spent cash ‘indulging in lavish eating and wastefulness’

In my recent trip to Seoul, I visited the National Library of Korea and took many photos of pages from the Keijo Nippo newspaper, which was originally established as the official propaganda mouthpiece for the Imperial Japanese colonial regime, which ruled Korea from 1905 to 1945. Around November 1, 1945, a transformative change occurred: the newspaper was taken over by pro-independence Korean employees, shifting its editorial stance drastically and turning it into a platform for Korean liberation.

One of my interesting finds was this editorial article from November 5, 1945, written by Korean writers describing the rampant inflation that was occurring in Korea at the time under U.S. military occupation, newly liberated from Imperial Japanese colonial rule. The Korean editors appeared to blame the inflation squarely on departing Japanese residents who were liquidating their property into cash and lavishly spending it before returning to Japan, and also certain ethnic Koreans who were helping the Japanese residents by buying their property from them. It seems that, like in post-war Japan, there was a sort of euphoric atmosphere in post-war Korea for certain affluent people who had the means to party and have fun, anxious to forget the suffering and privations of war.

The Korean anger and resentment against the colonial regime and the Japanese people are very palpable in the article, as well as the writers' hostility against 'ethnic Korean traitors', or pro-Japanese Koreans who are described as only interested in personal profit as they shift their allegiance from the Japanese to the Americans. We can also see the reverence that the writers held for the 'sacred U.S. military'.

We can also see the Koreanized Japanese that the writers use, writing '日人' instead of '日本人' for Japanese, and writing '親美' instead of '親米' for pro-American, but they don't seem to be consistent with this shift, since both forms are used in the article.

[Translation]

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) November 5, 1945

The Villains Behind the Inflation

The Japanese Must Leave

The Removal of Ethnic Korean Traitors Pretending to be Pro-American is Also an Urgent Priority

During the era of Japanese Imperialism when corrupt governance was the norm, our 30 million compatriots were exploited through coercive collections and transactions by the Governor-General's Office and other institutions, leading to economic controls and fixed pricing systems. These measures were said to be abolished after October 20th of this year. When the U.S. Military Government issued General Directive No. 2, it encouraged trade and production, aiming for a free market economy in Korea to decrease commodity prices, and it put its efforts into bringing previously sidelined goods back into the marketplace. As evidence of the Korean people's own trust in the U.S. Military Government, it was stated the previous day by the U.S. Military Government that bank deposits and postal savings had increased by several million yen, and that various commodity prices were expected to fall below standard levels. This directive had been definitively worded to rely on the laws of supply and demand, as was well-known among those in the economic sphere. However, when we actually observe the subsequent state of Korea's economy, we see that commodity prices continue to rise day by day. With the harsh winter looming, the public sentiment is enveloped in anxiety, and the future direction of the country is uncertain. What is the cause of this?

Eighty percent of Korea's assets were owned by Japanese people, and it was not just in the form of real estate, but also cash holdings. Furthermore, as Japanese people, they were allowed to freely buy and sell their private property, adding 'icing on the cake,' so to speak. In collusion with ethnic Korean traitors, they made an internal agreement to deposit only a portion of the proceeds into Korean banks, following the directives of the malicious government, while the majority of the funds were set aside to be received separately. That is how, while they cannot freely withdraw cash from the bank (no more than 1000 yen can be withdrawn at a time), they can still indulge in lavish eating and wastefulness while in Korea. This is the final malevolence of people leading the country to ruin. Furthermore, because they purchase goods at high prices, they end up possessing only about 20% [of their original assets]. As Korean compatriots, how can we fight against this? The economic impact is significant on lower-level laborers as well as the general public who live month-to-month maintaining households on monthly salaries.

There are only two solutions. One is to expel the Japanese from our country as soon as possible, and the other is to remove the ethnic Koreans traitors who collude with them. These ethnic Korean traitors (pro-Japanese individuals) aim to cheaply acquire or manage property owned by the Japanese. They put on the facade of being pro-American, and with advanced techniques previously used to curry favor with the Japanese, they try to deceive the sacred U.S. military, which came to save us, in order to gain personal profit. If the U.S. military thinks that these traitors are the leaders of Korea, we believe that they will repeat a grave mistake. We heard that the U.S. Military Government has set up an investigative committee regarding the selling of property, so we hope that the Military Government will thoroughly investigate these ethnic Korean traitors and be fully prepared for the establishment of a new Korea.

Who Is to Blame for Price Inflation?

Wipe Out the Destructive Mentality

Know the Righteousness of Building the Korean Nation

Why has the price of a bundle of green onions skyrocketed from one yen to three? It's not just green onions. The same thing is happening to sugar and daikon radish. As rampant inflation is threatening our daily life, we should definitely denounce the ones responsible for this malicious inflation. Who can deny that the majority of Japanese, who are limited to carrying cash when going back to Japan, are the main culprits? When considering that they can take lots of cash with them when they go back to Japan, it is no wonder why, these days, the Japanese can continue to lead prosperous lives without any discomfort as long as they have cash.

Take a look at the markets in the city. Is it not true that the ones hoarding the most essential food items and goods are exclusively Japanese women? We hear of outrageous stories like green onions, which were said to be too expensive at one yen a bundle, jumping to three yen a bundle before you knew it, and sugar now selling at 60 yen a kilogram. When you tell a vegetable seller that "Three yen for a bundle of green onions is too expensive," they reply, "You must be joking. Japanese people will buy it no matter how expensive it is."

Those immoral merchants who take advantage of the Japanese people's psychology to inflate prices must also be expelled, but whatever happens to the economic order of Korea in the future, these destructive scoundrels who are indifferent to how they threaten the lives of the Korean people must be removed as soon as possible. For 40 years, they squeezed as much blood from the Korean people as they could, and now they are returning to the ruins of their homeland while wiping their tears in defeat, but these are the underhanded means by which they leave economic chaos behind in Korea. Particularly in the southern part of the city and near the areas where Japanese residents live, due to the economic chaos caused by the Japanese, prices are increasing day-by-day. Thus, we must be determined to quickly implement the complete removal of the malicious residents who do not know the "Righteousness of Building the Korean Nation".

[Transcription]

京城日報 1945年11月5日

インフレを造る悪党

日人は退去せよ

にせ親美の民族反逆者除去も急先務

悪政が継続された日本帝国主義時代に総督府或いは総ゆる機関に対し強制的に供出、売買をさせ我等三千万同胞の血を吸い出し手足金しばりにした謂商業統制令と公定価格制度を今年十月二十日以後から廃止すると、軍政庁で総指令第二号を布告すると同時に我等朝鮮の経済界を自由市場へと指導する立場にて売買を奨励、生産を増加させ物価を低下させると同時に各自が死蔵した物品を市場へ送るべく総力を注いでいるから、朝鮮民族自体も軍政庁を信頼する証拠として銀行預金と郵便貯金が数百万円と増加して各種の物価が水準以下に低落するものと軍政庁では前日に言明して曰く、此の法令は経済界者達が周知している如く需要と供給の法則に依る決定的に言明されたが、以後の朝鮮の経済界を一観する時、それと反比例に日々物価は上がる一方で厳冬を前に控えて民心は不安に包まれ、その行方を知らずに居るのである。其の原因は何に起因するか。

朝鮮の八割の財産が日本人の所有であったから、その財産は不動産のみではない。勿論、それに正比例して現金も偏在してあった。その外に日本人としては、錦上に花を添える形で私有財産を自由に売買することを許されたのを寄貨として、朝鮮の民族反逆者と共謀して、その代価の一部分を朝鮮銀行に（悪政庁の命令にて）預金することを内約し、大部分は現今を別途に受け取って置き、思うがままに現金を銀行から引き出さられぬから（千円以上不能）朝鮮に居る間に好く食うてくい散らかす亡国人の最後の発悪を致し、かつてに高価にて物を買い入れるから二割程度しか持たない。我等朝鮮同胞は此れにどうして対抗出来るであろうか。尚さら下層労働者と月給にて月々の世帯を持つ大衆に及ぼす経済的影響は大きなものであるのである。

その解決方針としては二つしかない。その一つはすべからく日本人をして一日も早く我が国より追い出すことであり、もう一つは日本人と共謀する民族反逆者を除去することである。この民族反逆者（親日輩）達は日本人の財産を手安く自分の手に入るべく又は管理すべく親米家の仮面をかぶって過去に日本人におべっかを使った高等技術にて我等を救うために来た神聖なる米軍を瞞して私利を獲得しようとする者をまず先に除去すると同時に、米軍も彼輩達を朝鮮の指導者と思っては大きな過失をくり返すものと思われるが、軍政庁でも財産売買に関する審査委員会が設置されたと聞いているから民族反逆者達を徹底的に調査して朝鮮の建国の為に万全を期することを願うところである。

物価騰貴の罪は誰？

一掃せよ亡国根性

建国朝鮮の大義を知れ

一束一円の葱が一躍三円に値あげられた理由は一体どこにあるのか？葱ばかりでない。砂糖にしても大根にしてもそうだ。昨今の如く漬物価の暴騰がわれわれの生活の全面を脅かす時、悪性インフレーの造作輩の跋扈は断じて排撃すべきものである。現金持参（帰国のとき）を限定されを日本人の大多数がこの悪党輩の張本人であることを誰が否認しようか。帰国は出来ても多額の現金は止められている実状に照して彼等日本人このごろの生活は現金のある限り何等不自由なく裕かな生活をつづけている訳だ。

市内の各市場をのぞいて見よ。主要食糧をはじめ諸物貨の買い漁りは日本人婦女子に限られてはいないか。一円でも高過ぎるといった葱一束が何時の間に三円となり、砂糖一斤六十円というベラボウな話。野菜屋をのかぞいて『葱一束三円はあまり高いじゃないか』といえば『ご冗談でしょう。日本人はいくら高くても買ってくれますよ』。

いくら高くても買う日本人の心理を衝いて物価をベラボウに上げる悪徳商人も断じて駆逐すべきであるが、朝鮮の経済秩序が今後どうなろうが、朝鮮民族の生活が如何に威脅されようが構わぬという亡国的根性をもつ悪党を早く駆逐すべきである。四十年の長き間、朝鮮人の膏血を絞るだけ絞って今敗戦の涙をぐんで廃墟の里へ帰らんとする日本人の朝鮮に残す経済攪乱の卑劣な手段は即ちこれだ。殊に市内南部その外日本人居留部落の近くにある市場等の諸物価はこれら日本人の経済攪乱によって...日に日に沸騰する覚悟で建国朝鮮の大義を知らない悪性居留民の完全撤退が速に実施されなければならない。

Saiga Shichirō (斎賀七郎), an Imperial Japanese Ideological Police officer responsible for the torture, false imprisonment, and deaths of countless Korean patriots, was assassinated in Seoul on Nov. 2, 1945 (reported by newly liberated Keijo Nippo)

For my fourth post that I am making during my stay in Korea, I am sharing a Keijo Nippo news article about the November 2nd, 1945 assassination of Saiga Shichirō (斎賀七郎), a member of the Ideological Police in Korea under Japanese rule, which I discovered while browsing through the old Japanese language colonial news archives at the National Library of Korea.

For those unfamiliar, Keijo Nippo had been the official propaganda newspaper under the Imperial Japanese colonial regime, which had dominated Korea from 1905 to 1945. Just a few days earlier on around November 1, 1945, the Korean employees had taken over the newspaper from their Japanese bosses, transforming a tool of oppression into a platform for liberation. This article was published on November 5, 1945 and written by the Korean employees of the Keijo Nippo newspaper.

Saiga Shichirō was apparently responsible for the torture, false imprisonment, and deaths of countless Korean patriots. The article describes his assassination as a form of retribution and justice.

It's fascinating to see how the narrative shifts depending on the prevailing power structure. Just a few months earlier, Saiga Shichirō would have been lionized in this very newspaper, perhaps described as a hero or a martyr for the Imperial Japanese cause. Now, with the tables turned and Korea liberated, the article portrays him as a villain who met a fitting end. This is a clear example of how the Korean patriotic perspective has overturned the Imperial Japanese colonial viewpoint.

Interestingly, a Google search of Saiga Shichirō in Japanese doesn't yield any information about his alleged crimes, which makes this article even more significant. By posting it here, I hope to make this information more easily accessible, and facilitate a more nuanced understanding of this part of Japanese and Korean history in the online space.

[Translation]

Keijo Nippo (Gyeongseong Ilbo) November 5, 1945

An ideological police officer who was a devil

These were his last moments

Saiga Shichirō was shot dead in the streets

The following is about the miserable end of the evil devil of the Japanese Imperialist Ideological Police, who for over 20 years subjected numerous of our patriotic pioneers to brutal torture, framed them with false charges, and drove them to death in prison.

Former Senior Police Officer Saiga Shichirō (47 years old) of the Gyeonggi Province Police Department was shot dead by a number of assailants on the street next to the Wonnam-dong (원남동, 苑南洞) Post Office in the city around 6:30 PM on November 2nd. Following Japan's defeat and Korea's liberation, he had sent his family back to his hometown in Kagawa Prefecture in haste, while he himself stayed behind at his residence at 124 Wonnam-dong, engrossed in settling his estate. It seems that Saiga himself acknowledged the crimes that he had committed, as he was mostly absent from his home, and even the neighbors mentioned that they had not seen lights on at his place until now.

However, on the day of the shooting (November 2nd), bright lights were turned on inside Saiga's house, and even laughter could be heard from inside. Just after 6 PM, Saiga appeared outside, wearing slippers, to see off a guest. As he crossed the roundabout in Wonnam-dong and entered the alley next to the post office, gunshots suddenly rang out from the darkness. Saiga was shot in the right chest and was holding it with his hand when a second bullet struck his head. Saiga collapsed onto the ground and met his end with a final, dying scream.

[Transcription]

京城日報 1945年11月5日

思想警察の『悪魔』、最後は之れだ

斎賀七郎が路上で射殺さる

二十年間に亘って幾多の我等の愛国先覚者たちを残虐な拷問にかけて無実の罪をでっち上げては囹圄に縛りつけて死へと追いやった日本帝国主義思想警察の邪鬼―の惨めな最後。

前京畿道警察部高等警察課警部斎賀七郎（四七）は、二日午後六時半頃市内苑南町郵便局横の路上で何人かにより拳銃で射殺された。斎賀は香川県産で日本の敗戦に伴う朝鮮の解放と共に家族だけあわてて郷里に帰し、自分は市内苑南町一二四の自宅に踏み留まって家産整理に汲々としていたが、さすがに斎賀も自分の犯した罪は自認するものと見えて殆ど居留守を使い、隣近の家でも今まで斎賀の所に火をともしたのをつい見かけなかったとのことである。

ところが射殺当日（二日）は斎賀の家に煌々と電灯がともされ、高々と笑声さえも聴こえて来たのである。六時を一寸過ぎた頃、斎賀は客を見送ってスリッパをつつかけたまま外へ姿を現し、苑南町のロータリーを渡って同町郵便局横の路地に入った際、突如暗がりの中から銃声が轟き斎賀は右胸を撃たれて手で押さえた瞬間続いて第二弾が頭部を見舞い斎賀はどっと地上へぶったぶれ、断末魔の叫び声と共に最後を遂げた。

A photo of the article that I took at the National Library of Korea.

Korean staff at the newly liberated Keijo Nippo Newspaper published this editorial and illustration in December 1945 denouncing the atrocities of Japanese Imperialism and repudiating the myth of ‘Japanese-Korean Unification’

For my third post that I am making during my stay in Korea, I thought it would only be fitting to give voice to some long-forgotten Korean writers who have something crucial to say about their experiences under Imperial Japanese rule. I found their editorial and illustration in the old Japanese-language newspaper archives at the National Library of Korea.

The article I'm sharing today was published on December 8th, 1945 and written by the Korean employees of the Keijo Nippo newspaper. For those unfamiliar, Keijo Nippo had been the official propaganda newspaper under the Imperial Japanese colonial regime, which had dominated Korea from 1905 to 1945. In early November 1945, the Korean employees took over the newspaper from their Japanese bosses, transforming a tool of oppression into a platform for liberation.

Though short, this editorial serves as a strong indictment against the crimes, injustices, and inhumanities perpetrated by Imperial Japan. Accompanying the editorial is a drawing that vividly illustrates the suppression of free speech (言論弾圧), forced conscription (強制徴兵), forced student soldiers (強制学兵), forced labor (強制勤労), forced requisition (強制徴用), and contributions (供出) under Japanese Imperialism (日本帝国主義).

[Translation]

Keijo Nippo (Gyeongseong Ilbo) December 8, 1945

Commemorating the End of Japan's Imperial Rule on December 8th

The Korean Nation's 'Day of Bloodshed'

When we recall December 8th, we realize that, from that day on, our Korean compatriots were bound by the iron net of Japanese imperialism, and they shed their precious blood in the sky, sea, and fields, along with their countless pure souls. The more we think about it, the more painful the bloodshed becomes, making our teeth chatter and filling us with intense emotions.

The harsh reality that drove thirty million of our compatriots to the brink of death, while falsely promoting the idea of "Japanese-Korean Unification," has clearly unfolded before our eyes. Conscription, mobilization, labor, contributions, and requisitions — all were forced upon us.

Countless many compatriots who left their fathers and were separated from their siblings and spouses have buried their angry wave of deep resentment in the lands of the Asian continent. They must now be quietly celebrating this great liberation and nation-building.

Four years have passed since the beginning of Japan's imperial invasion of the East and the Pacific War! Today, we observe December 8th at the very location where liberation occurred precisely on that day [on August 15th]! This day is one of historical significance, a day of cheers from thirty million people. Four years of hardship and endurance! How did we manage to live through all of this? We had mouths but were restrained from practicing freedom of speech, and we endured unbearable exploitation and oppression. Look at this record of blood, endured with hardships and bitterness, inflicted upon us by Japanese imperialism since that day on December 8th.

 

[Transcription]

京城日報 1945年12月8日

12月8日は日本の断末幕

朝鮮民族「流血の日」

想い起こせば、あの日十二月八日、あれから朝鮮同胞は日本帝国主義の鉄鋼網に縛られて尊い血を空に海に野に無限の純魂と共に流されたのである。ああ想えば想うほどくやしい流血であった。歯根もふるえ、熱腸九廻の思いをする。

内鮮一体という偽装の看板を高く掲げて三千万わが同胞を死の彼岸へ追い込んだ痛烈なる現実がわれわれの眼前にはつきりと展開されたではないか。徴兵も徴兵の出陣も勤労、供出、徴用すべてが強制でないものはかなかった。

父親の膝下を離れ、兄弟妻子に離別した幾多の同胞が大陸の地に怒濤の波に千秋の怨恨を埋めて、いま静かにこの大なる解放建国を祝うに違いない。

日本帝政の東洋侵略への末幕大東亜戦争から満四年！きょうこの日がちょうどその日であった解放の處に迎える十二月八日！この日は世紀的感激が燃えたつ三千万の歓呼の日である。困苦忍耐の四年！われわれはどんなにして生きて来たのか。口あれど言論の自由を拘束され酷使と圧迫に堪え難きものがあった。あの日！あの十二月八日からの日本帝政に加えられた臥薪嘗胆の血の記録を見よ。

Edit: The very last line of the transcription was corrected to あの十二月八日からの日本帝政に加えられた臥薪嘗胆の血の記録を見よ。This is to be translated as, "Look at the record of blood, endured with hardships and bitterness, inflicted upon us by the Imperial Japanese regime since December 8th."

Korean staff at Keijo Nippo took over news operations from their former Japanese bosses in Nov 1945 and then sent this message to Korean readers announcing continued publication in Japanese for the time being until Korean typefaces are ready for use

For my second post that I am making during my stay in Korea, I thought it would only be fitting to introduce you to the Korean perspectives that I unexpectedly found in the old Japanese-language newspaper archives at the National Library of Korea. This editorial message is a fascinating piece of history from November 1945, shedding light on the transitional period just after Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule. The message comes from the ethnic Korean staff of the Keijo Nippo newspaper. For those unfamiliar, Keijo Nippo had been the official propaganda newspaper under the Imperial Japanese colonial regime, which had dominated Korea from 1905 to 1945.

In this pivotal moment of history, the Korean staff had recently taken over the news operations from their Japanese superiors. They faced a unique challenge: the need to communicate with their fellow Koreans, but with limited resources to do so in their native language. Due to a shortage of Korean typefaces essential for producing newspapers in the Korean language, they found themselves in a position where they had no choice but to continue publishing in Japanese.

However, the staff wanted to convey a crucial message to their ethnic Korean readership. They sought to reassure them that, even if the articles were written in Japanese, the heart and soul of the content would remain undeniably Korean. The essence of their message was a commitment to the Korean spirit and identity, even amidst the challenges of the transitional period.

It's a poignant reminder of the complexities faced by nations in the aftermath of colonial rule and the resilience of people striving to reclaim their cultural identity.

Keijo Nippo would continue publishing until its last issue on December 11, 1945. Unfortunately, many of the surviving copies of Keijo Nippo from that month look badly damaged, including the last issue. 

[Translation]

Keijo Nippo (Gyeongseong Ilbo) November 2, 1945

Notice

Since August 15th, everything in Korea is gradually returning to our possession. In line with this, the Keijo Nippo newspaper has also returned to our possession as of today. We only regret how long overdue this return was.

Reflecting on the long journey of the Keijo Nippo newspaper over the past forty years, it is undeniable that there have been many actions that we, as Korean compatriots, could not condone. Even though we served in our duties and acted the way we did due to compulsion and pressure, we are tormented by our responsibility in all this.

At this juncture, we considered abandoning our pens and becoming the foundation stones for the establishment of the nation. However, given that certain tasks are best left to those who specialize in them, we deeply realized that the only shortcut to contribute to the construction of the new Korean state was to dedicate ourselves with sincerity in our professional field as journalists. Thus, we have picked up our pens again, which we had once put aside, and we have firmly vowed to become a driving force for the establishment of Korea.

However, due to the directives of the military government and the lack of typefaces, we have reluctantly reached a point where we will continue to publish in Japanese for the time being in this transitional period. This is something we deeply regret.

Nevertheless, even if the expressions are in Japanese, the content remains true to our Korean spirit. We sincerely hope that our thirty million Korean compatriots will understand our genuine feelings on this matter.

We vow once again! We will do our utmost to serve as the foundation stones for the establishment of Korea. We will make every effort to rectify this transitional state of publishing in Japanese as soon as possible. We earnestly request the guidance and encouragement of our thirty million Korean compatriots.

November 1, 1945

Keijo Nippo Newspaper Company

From All the Korean Employees

[Transcription]

京城日報 1945年11月2日

謹告

八月十五日を契機として、朝鮮内の凡ゆるものは我等に戻りつつある。この線に沿って『京城日報』も今日を以て我等の手に帰したが、我等はその何と遅かりしを卿つのみである。

偖て『京城日報』が過ぐる四十年間の長きに亘って歩んで来た途程に就いては、我等朝鮮同胞として許すべからざるものの多々あるは否み難い。仍って、いくらかなりとも職を奉じていた我等としては、圧力に強いられて動いて来たとはいえ、その責に悶えているのである。

此の際潔くペンを折って建国の聖なる捨石となる途もなきやと考えても見たものの、矢張り餅は餅屋で、言論人として誠を捧げて職域に奉ずるのが朝鮮の新国家建設に寄与する唯一の捷径であることを痛感し、此に更めて一度は擱いたペンを執り直し、敢えて朝鮮建国の推進力たらんと固く誓って起ち上がったのである。

然るに軍政庁の指示と活字の不備により不本意乍ら過渡期的現象として、当分間日本文を以て発刊するの已むなきに至った。これは我等としてもかえすがえすも遺憾に堪えないところである。

併し、譬え表現は日本文を藉りるとはいえ、その内包は我が朝鮮魂に偽りのないことは言うまでもない。此の点については、朝鮮三千万同胞諸氏に我等の微衷を諒せられんことを切に乞う次第である。

我等は改めて誓う！我等は、朝鮮建国の捨石として最善を竭さん。而して日本文で発刊されるという過渡期的現象を一日も速やかに是正することに、我等は最大の努力を傾けん。冀くば朝鮮三千万同胞諸氏よ！絶大の御指導と御鞭捷を賜わらんことを。

一九四五年十一月一日

京城日報社

朝鮮人従業員一同

A poignant editorial drawing showing the separation of Korea by the 38th parallel, published on November 20, 1945 by the Keijo Nippo Newspaper controlled by the ethnic Korean employees.

Heavily damaged page from a December 1945 issue of Keijo Nippo

I finally accessed the 1945 Keijo Nippo (Gyeongseong Ilbo) archives in-person at the National Library of Korea - Korean employees apparently rebelled against their Japanese bosses in Nov. 1945 and took over news operations until the last issue published on Dec. 11, 1945

For over two years, I have been passionately posting about Keijo Nippo (Gyeongseong Ilbo), a newspaper from the Japanese colonial era of Korea. My posts have covered transcriptions and translations of numerous articles, shedding light on the oppression and humiliation experienced by the Korean people under Japanese colonial rule.

My primary source had been an archive on the Internet Archive which was anonymously uploaded there in 2021. However, it had its limitations. Notably, the entire 1945 collection was missing, and many pages were either illegible due to poor scan quality or page deterioration.

I am finally in Seoul, enjoying my much-postponed vacation. While I am indulging in the delightful food scene and visiting the main tourist attractions, the highlights of my trip so far have been meeting my old violin teacher Mr. Simon Kim, whom I had last met 34 years ago as an elementary school, and spending a day at the National Library of Korea. To many, a library might not be a tourist attraction, but for me, it was a treasure trove. I was eager to see how the tone of Keijo Nippo evolved through 1945, marking the surrender of Imperial Japan, the liberation of Korea, and the onset of the US and Soviet occupation of the Korean peninsula.

I am elated to share that I successfully accessed the newspaper volumes I sought. With the assistance of the English-speaking staff, I obtained a library card, and after an hour-long wait, I was handed the volumes in the reference room on the third floor. However, I discovered that these volumes were just reproductions of scanned copies, and not the original copies. Nonetheless, some pages were of superior quality compared to the Internet Archive. I also managed to scan numerous articles from 1939 to 1943. Unfortunately, the 1944 articles were generally of poorer quality than those on the Internet Archive.

The volumes of Keijo Nippo that I browsed.

The pages from August 15, 1945, onwards were particularly moving. This period marked the day of Korean liberation and the surrender of Imperial Japan. The newspaper's tone shifted dramatically, from calls for calm to announcements of Japanese repatriation, to becoming a mouthpiece for the American occupation. The stark contrast in the portrayal of Americans, from being vilified to celebrated, was striking.

But the most astonishing discovery was from November 1945. The Korean employees at Keijo Nippo apparently rebelled against their Japanese superiors and took over the newspaper's operations. As the ethnic Japanese staff bid their farewells in their statement in the November 1st issue, the Korean staff issued a statement in the November 2nd issue, pledging to continue writing in Japanese but with a renewed purpose - to uplift the Korean nation. This "Rogue Keijo Nippo" introduced many novelties, like Korean cartoons, which had never been in Keijo Nippo before, and they subtly Koreanized the Japanese language that they used. For example, they used 日人 instead of 日本人 for Japanese, and used 美軍 instead of 米軍 for US military. The rogue columnists wrote lots of essays directed at the remaining ethnic Japanese who were still not repatriated, condemning the "Japanese-Korean unification" ideology, Japanese imperialism and militarism, and Japanese supremacism that they had to endure for all these years. It seemed like they were expressing their pent-up frustrations and emotions that had been suppressed for a long time. Indeed, they were certainly harnessing their mastery of the Japanese language to tell us their true feelings for the first time. It did personally feel uncanny, since it felt like I was opening a time capsule, and I was discovering a message that was addressed to me, as if they wanted their voice to be heard in our world in 2023.

Many pages were like this, completely illegible

I amassed a sizeable collection of snapshots of newspaper pages, but I will gradually transcribe and translate all my intriguing finds as time allows. I extend my gratitude to the library staff who were accommodating, even allowing me to photograph the materials, which was technically prohibited. This was a stark contrast to my experience at the National Diet Library in Tokyo, where photography was strictly forbidden, and I had to use their copy service.

I remain hopeful that these invaluable newspapers will be digitized in high resolution in the future, making them accessible to everyone without the need for a physical visit.

Imperial Japan’s manhunt for the “Communist Bandit Kim Il-Sung” in the late 1930’s was sensationalized in news headlines all over Korea, capturing the imagination of the Korean public under colonial rule

Continuing my exploration of Korean colonial-era newspapers from the 1930s and 1940s, available on the Internet Archive since 2021, I stumbled upon a series of fascinating articles about Kim Il-sung, the future founder of North Korea. Given that many of these details differ significantly from publicly available biographies of Kim Il-sung, I thought this would be of interest to the community here.

It is crucial to understand that these articles were sourced from Gyeongseong Ilbo (also known as Keijo Nippo), the official newspaper of the Imperial Japanese colonial administration, which governed Korea from 1905 to 1945. Though the paper was a propaganda tool, it was also the most widely read newspaper in Korea at the time. Only around 15% of Koreans had the literacy to read the newspaper, but the information would likely have spread through word of mouth.

Here are the noteworthy differences:

1. Kim Il-sung allegedly went to the Soviet Union at age 19 (~1930) for university studies. In contrast, most sources claim he didn't go to the Soviet Union until 1940.
2. The place of Kim Il-sung's birth is listed as either South Hamgyong or North Pyongan, differing from most sources which point to South Pyongan.
3. There are varying accounts of his birth year: ~1901 according to a 1937 article, ~1911 according to the May 1939 article, and ~1909 according to the June 1939 article. Most sources agree he was born in 1912.
4. Kim Il-sung imposter theory: Kim Il-sung was allegedly killed in November 1937. The May 1939 article suggests that Kim Il-sung was killed in 1936, and someone named Kim Young-san may have assumed Kim Il-sung's identity then. However, the June 1939 article appears to downplay this theory. Most modern historians today do not entertain this theory.

I also noted some similarities in the news articles with prevailing North Korean narratives:

1. Both the articles and North Korean narratives agree that Mount Baekdu served as Kim Il-sung's base for anti-Japanese activities during the 1930s.
2. The articles corroborate North Korean claims that Kim Il-sung's father, Kim Hyong-jik, was involved in the independence movement and was executed for it.

The copy of the June 1939 article from the Internet Archive was largely illegible, but I was able to decipher sections discussing Kim Il-sung and O Paek-ryong, a future high-ranking general of North Korea. O Paek-ryong (오백룡, 呉白龍) is depicted as defiant towards colonial authorities, even demanding they pay taxes to him instead of the other way around.

Here is what I could understand from the faded text: A colonial official was said to have sent a letter to O Paek-ryong asking him to pay his taxes (いい加減にもう年貢を収めたらどうか？). In response, O Paek-ryong sent back a letter asking them to pay taxes to him instead, and that they were a pathetic bunch of people whose days were numbered (お前達こそいい加減にもう年貢を収めたらどうか？余命幾許も無いお前達は実に哀れなものだ). Between May 20, 1939 and June 16, 1939, the bandits made incursions into Korea at four locations and had 11 skirmishes with colonial security forces. 2-3 days prior to June 16, 1939, they also assaulted a bus and killed 3 ethnic Japanese people, stole some gold items, and set fire to the bus with gasoline.

I am planning a visit to the National Library of Korea later this month to examine physical copies of Keijo Nippo and satiate my curiosity about the late 1944 to 1945 issues. However, if there is community interest in the 1939 mentions of Kim Il-sung and his comrades, I will certainly prioritize that during my upcoming trip.

[Translation]

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) November 18, 1937

The suffering of the residents along the Korean-Manchurian border is now resolved: Communist Bandit Kim Il-Sung's Death

Statement by the Korean Army Office on November 17th - Kim Il-sung has long been residing on the opposite bank of the Yalu River in Changbai and Fusong Counties. Under the incitement of the Comintern, he has been advocating communism to the local residents and making efforts to cultivate anti-Manchukuo and anti-Japanese sentiments. At times, he has carried out slaughter and pillage, causing suffering to innocent people. Sometimes, he hatches treacherous plans against the Japanese-Manchurian forces, thereby significantly threatening the public order in Manchukuo. According to sources, on November 13th, a Manchurian anti-bandit squad confirmed Kim Il-sung's location, attacked him, and after five hours of fierce fighting, finally beheaded him, singing a song of triumph.

If this is indeed true, not only the residents who have long suffered under his oppression will rejoice, but the Korean Army authorities, who have a great concern for public order along the Korean-Manchurian border, will be filled with indescribable joy. Respect is expressed for the hard work and effort of the Manchurian anti-bandit squad.

Father and Son Across Two Generations of Treachery: The Mastermind of the Attack on Pochonbo

Is he a hero of the verdant woods? Who was Kim Il-sung, who traversed the eastern borderlands? He was said to be born in South Hamgyong or, according to some theories, in South Pyeongan. According to the investigation of the border police, the South Hamgyong theory is more credible, and beyond that, his origins are unclear — a fitting background for a bandit. From a young age, Kim Il-sung crossed the border with his father, based himself in the eastern borderlands, started a revolutionary movement, and became its leader. As the revolutionary movement expanded across the river, red devils appeared behind the scenes, inciting them with communist thought.

Tainted red, at around the age of 19, Kim Il-sung snuck into Moscow, the Mecca of the People's Front. He spent ten months in Russia, where he studied at a communist university, and furthermore joined the Red Army, becoming a practitioner of anti-Japanese activities. As soon as the Manchurian Incident broke out, he returned immediately to the eastern border, joined forces with bandit groups led by leaders such as Wang Fengge (王鳳閣) and Cao Guo'an (曹国安), and started an anti-Manchurian and anti-Japanese army, disrupting the border. Kim Il-sung, the only intellectual among the bandits, rapidly rose to become the leader of his comrades, and he stubbornly continued anti-Manchurian activities for about six years. The name "Communist Bandit Kim Il-sung" echoed throughout Manchukuo, often troubling the anti-bandit squads. Notably this spring, he attacked Pochonbo on the second line of the South Hamgyong border, resulting in several casualties among the brave Hyesan Police who were staunchly defending the border.

Kim Il-sung, who continued anti-Japanese and anti-Manchurian activities for two generations with his father, was finally cornered by the brave anti-bandit squad, and at the age of 36, his life of turbulence came to a close, putting an end to his evil dreams.

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) May 28, 1939

Bandit Tales: Child of Destiny, Kim Il-Sung

A Focus on Recent Guerrilla Tactics

**Foreword**

When we hear that bandits have appeared in North Hamgyong, those unfamiliar with the situation immediately seem to think that these bandits are operating in the hills behind Chongjin, but it is by no means a laughing matter. There was a time when a large bandit raid occurred deep in Musan and was reported in bold headlines in the newspapers. As a result, we received letters of sympathy all the way from mainland Japan. Several years have passed since then, but bandits have once again invaded the border of North Hamgyong by circling around Baekdu Mountain from the South Hamgyong border area. They have clashed with the security forces for several days. Chief of Police Tsui recently stated, "Since people unfamiliar with local conditions may think that the bandits have invaded areas like Chongjin or Rason, I want things to be clearly reported to avoid misunderstandings. I do not think it is good to give the general impression that North Hamgyong is an unsafe place in terms of public order, as this would not be conducive to the progress of North Hamgyong." Apparently, the general public perception about the "bandits of North Hamgyong" is inadequate.

Generally speaking, it is regrettable that there is even temporary bandit activity around the Korea-Manchuria border, which is lauded as the "royal road to paradise." At a time when the whole country is working to construct a New Asia, and the glorious song of the advance army of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere is playing loudly, when viewed from the grand scheme of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, the issues in that region, which is but a small corner, may seem trivial like so many insignificant orchids, but they are not without problems. However, we must say that the repeated occurrence of these ill-fated incidents disrupting public order in this small corner of our continental forward base is a serious matter. But when all is said and done, this represents the last gasp of breath for these bandits whose days are numbered on the land of Chongjin.

Now then, what is the current situation of these bandits who are disruptors of the peace in the Korean-Manchurian region, and who are detestable enemies of culture? What is their lineage? Organization? Strongholds? Recent activities? Let us attempt to explain these various issues a little. (North Hamgyong News Bureau)

**Structure and Organization**

While we do not have detailed information about the structure and organization of these bandits, they are generally part of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army. Below that are the First to Fourth Route Armies, which have First to Sixth Armies under them. Each army further divides into divisions and regiments. Today's bandits are by no means a rabble. They have a proper military organization and display considerable discipline, training, equipment, and coordination. The bandits that are active in the dense forests across from North and South Hamgyong are primarily under Yang Jingyu (楊靖宇) and include a faction led by Kim Il-sung. Yang Jingyu, a Manchu, is a formidable character who holds a military commander's position. Yang Jingyu has made Tonghua, Jilin, Huanan, Ning'an, and Dunhua among others his strongholds, and has single-handedly controlled northeastern Manchuria. He himself has become the commander of his First Army, appointed An Guangxun (安光薫) as the political leader and Kim Se-Hyung (김세형, 金世衡) as the chief of staff. Leading from the First Division to the Sixth Division, he reigns supreme, acting like a king of the verdant woods with great aplomb.

Kim Il-sung, who attacked Pochonbo in South Hamgyong last year and committed murder using every possible means, is currently waging combat against our suppression squad after invading North Hamgyong from the South Hamgyong border area again today. Kim Il-sung is Yang's trusted subordinate and heads the Sixth Division. He is just 28 years old. Kim Il-sung has an extremely violent nature, and he is very familiar with the conditions within Korea due to his numerous raids. He is disrupting public order by appearing and disappearing as if he were at home in the dense forests of Baekdu Mountain. Born on the Korean Peninsula in Gapsan, South Hamgyong, his father was a leader of the Manse Demonstration and was executed. He is thus a child of destiny. His nationalist ideology was inherited from his parents. He was raised by his uncle after moving to the eastern borderlands at a young age. His inherently violent nature eventually led him to join the group of bandits, and he is now on the path to his own destruction, chasing an unending illusory dream. Such has been the strange course of his life thus far.

There are some reports suggesting that Kim Il-sung was shot and killed by Manchurian troops in Huadian County in November 1936, and so a Korean named Kim Young-san (김영산, 金永山) succeeded him as the second Kim Il-sung, but the details are not clear. Yang Jingyu has also organized a so-called Second Front Army to disrupt the Korea-Manchuria border. Its command structure includes Yang Jingyu as commander, Kim Il-sung as the direct army chief, and Lin Shuishan (林水山) as chief of staff. They have under them the 7th to 10th regiments, as well as other guerrilla units, amounting to about 700 men in total.

These organized groups maintain consistent organic contact, and it goes without saying that the Comintern is manipulating them behind the scenes. A recent trend worth noting is their astonishing shift towards communism. They now refrain from unnecessary killings and brutality, and have shifted towards a trend of ideologically appealing to good citizens in order to win them over. (To be continued)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) June 16, 1939

Patrolling the Anti-Bandit Frontlines

Report from North Hamgyong News Bureau (2)

The Legendary Kim Il-Sung: Certainly an Aura of Tension Among the Three Leaders

[...] That night, under the kerosene lamp of the Eiya Inn, the conversation became lively when discussing the topic of bandits. Because we were actually on the ground where it all happened, the stories that we heard were accompanied by a sobering sense of reality (the speakers were Police Chief Tsutsui, Senior Section Chief Miwa, and the journalists).

"Who exactly is this man called Kim Il-sung? According to one theory, he has not actually existed as a real person ever since he was killed by the security forces in the eastern borderlands last year..."

"No, he is indeed a real person. Just a few years ago, a newspaper reporter visited his base and met him. Although he did not appear in any photos, the article 'Meeting Kim Il-sung' was published in a newspaper and caused quite a sensation."

"That might have been a bit hard to believe. However, he undoubtedly exists as a real person. It was said that he is from Gapsan in South Hamgyong, but actually, he is apparently from North Pyeongan. In his childhood, his father was executed due to his participation in the Manse Demonstration. After that, he took up his father's mantle, ran into nationalist movements, and became a bandit. He is a somewhat pitiful child of destiny. However, he is only about thirty years old and holds a position equivalent to a division commander among the bandits, so he is certainly an extraordinary person."

"The next guest coming here is said to be the boss of this Kim Il-sung, a man named O Paek-ryong (오백룡, 呉白龍). O Paek-ryong is said to be located around [illegible] now. How about it, would anyone have the courage to go and write an article like 'Meeting O Paek-ryong'? It would certainly be a big scoop these days."

[...]

[Transcription]

京城日報 1937年11月18日

鮮満国境住民の苦悩今や解消：共産匪金日成の死

朝鮮軍当局談＝十七日朝鮮軍当局談＝金日成匪は予て鴨緑対岸長白、撫松県に蟠居しコンミンテルンの使嗾の下に所在の住民に対し共産主義を鼓吹し反満抗日的機運の醸成に努め或いは殺戮掠奪の限りを尽くして無辜の民を苦しめ、時としては日満軍に対して不逞を策するので満州国の治安を著しく脅威しありしか、情報によれば去る十三日満軍討匪隊は金日成の所在を確かめ、之を攻撃し激戦五時間の後、遂にその首級をあげ凱歌を奏したり。

果して然らば久しく彼らの桎桔下に苦悩せし住民の喜びは元より、鮮満国境の治安に大なる関心を有する朝鮮軍当局の喜びに堪えざる所にして満州討匪隊の苦心と努力に対し敬意を表する次第である。

父子二代の不逞：普天堡襲撃の張本

緑林の英雄？として東辺道を股にかけた金日成とはどんな男か。彼の生れは咸南と云い、或いは平南出身との説があり、国境警察官の調べによると咸南説が有力で、それ以上は判明しないと云う匪賊らしい生立ちである。金日成は幼時、父につれられ越境し、東辺道を根拠とし、〇〇革命運動を起こし、金日成はその首領となっていた〇〇運動が対岸に拡大するにつれて赤色魔が彼らの背後に現れ共産思想を煽りたてた。

赤色に染まった金日成は十九歳ころ人民戦線のメッカ、モスコーに潜入。在露十ヶ月、この間に共産大学に学び、更に赤衛軍に入隊。反日運動の実践者となった。満州事変勃発するや直ぐに東辺道に帰り、王鳳閣、曹国安等の匪賊団と聯合し、ここに反満抗日軍を起こし国境線を荒し廻っていた。緑林唯一のインテリ金日成の勢力は忽ち仲間の首魁に押され約六ヶ年に亘って、頑強に反満運動を続け『共匪金日成』の名は全満州に響き亘り討伐隊をしばしば困らせ、殊に今春、咸南の国境は第二線普天堡を襲撃し、これがため勇敢に国境線を死守した恵山鎮署員にも数名の犠牲者を出した程であった。

父子二代に亘って抗日反満を続けた金日成も勇敢な討伐隊に追い詰められ、遂に三十六歳を一期に悪の夢を清算、波瀾ある生涯の幕をとじた。

京城日報 1939年5月28日

匪賊物語：宿命の子、金日成

注目すべき最近の薪戦術

まえがき

咸北に匪賊が出た、というと事情を知らぬ人は直ぐ、清津の裏山にでもやって来てボシボシやっているように思うらしいが、決して笑い話ではない。嘗つて茂山のずっと奥地で大がかりな匪襲事件があって新聞にデカデカと報道された時には遠く内地方面から清津に見舞状がやって来たものだという。それから幾年、匪賊は最近又しても咸南国境方面から白頭山岳を迂回して咸北国境に侵入し、警備隊とここ数日前来、衝突交戦しているが、筒井警察部長はこの前、『内地の事情を知らぬ人達はまた清津、羅南附近にでも侵入したかの如く考えるかも知れないから、この点誤解のないように報道して貰いたい。咸北はどうも治安上面白くない所だ、というような印象を一般に与えることは躍進咸北の為によろしくないと思うから』と語っていたが、事程さように『咸北の匪賊』というものに対する一般の認識は足りないのである。

だいたい王道楽土を謳歌している日（鮮）満国境あたりに、かりそめにも匪賊の蠢動があるなどということは残念なことである。今、国を挙げて新亜細亜の建設に奮いたち、東亜大陸に華々しい興亜の進軍隊が高らかに奏でられている時、興亜の大局から見て猫額大の一角に過ぎないあの地域に出没する数々たる雛蘭の如き凡そ問題ではないが、しかし我が大陸前進基地たる領土の一角の治安を紊るこの種の不祥事件が繰り返されるということは由々しき大事であるといわねばならない。しかしそれは所詮、余命幾許もない彼等にとって清津の地の最後のあがきであるが。

さて、この鮮満治安の攪乱者であり憎むべき文化の敵である匪賊の現勢はどうか。系統は。組織は。根城は。最近の出没状況は。等々の問題について少し解説を試みよう。（咸北支局生）

系統と組織

彼等匪賊の系統、組織は詳かではないが、大体、東北抗日連合軍を根幹としてその下に第一路軍から第四路軍があり、その下に第一軍から第六軍があって、又その下に師団、その下が団、連に分れている。匪賊と雖も今日の匪賊は決して烏合の衆ではない。以上のように立派に軍隊式な編成を有し規律、訓練、装備、連絡などに侮り難いものがある。咸南北対岸の密林地帯を根城にして躍動する賊は主として楊靖宇匪の配下で金日成の一味であると見てよい。この楊靖宇という奴は満人だが相当の強か者で第一路の軍総司令、謂わば軍司令官格である。楊靖宇は通化、吉林、樺南、寧安、敦化等を根城に東北満を一手にその手中におさめ、自らその第一軍の軍長となり政主に安光薫を、参謀長に金世衡を配し、第一師から第六師を率いて天晴れ緑林の王者気取りで君臨している。

昨年咸南の普天堡を襲って凶殺の限りを尽くし、今日又咸南国境方面から咸北に侵入して我が討伐隊と交戦中の金日成匪の頭目。金日成はこの楊靖宇の懐刀で第六師長（師団長格）、まだ二十八の青年である。彼は非常に凶暴な性格をもち、前後数十回に亘る襲撃事件によって鮮内の状況に精通し、白頭山岳のあの密林の中を恰も我家の如く出没しては治安を攪乱しているのである。それに彼はもともと半島人であり咸南甲山の生まれで、その父は過ぐる万歳騒ぎ事件の巨魁で死刑となった。いわば彼は生まれながらにして宿命の子であった。彼の民族主義イデオロギーは先天的な親譲りのものである。幼少の許にして東辺道に渡り、叔父の許に育ったが生来の凶暴性は遂に嘗つて匪賊の群に投ぜしめ醒めやらぬ迷夢を追って自ら破滅への道を辿っている、というのが数奇な彼の半生なのであった。

一説には過ぐる昭和十一年十一月樺甸県で満軍討伐隊に射殺されたので金永山、半島人なる者が第二の金日成としてその後を継いだともいわれているが詳かではない。楊靖宇匪は又、第二方面軍というものを編成して鮮満国境の攪乱を企てている。今その編成を見ると総司令が楊靖宇で、その直系の軍長に金日成を、参謀長に林水山を配し、第七団から第十団まで三団を配下として他に遊撃隊を配し、その総勢は約七百名の多数に上っている。

以上の系統組織は常に有機的な連絡を保ち、しかもその背後にはコミンテルンが糸を操っていることはいうまでもない。近時注目すべき傾向は彼等の驚くべき赤色化である。必要以上の殺伐凶暴はやらぬが、思想的に良民に呼びかけてこれを獲得するというような傾向に移行して来たことである（つづく）

京城日報 1939年6月16日

討匪戦線縦走

咸北支局生 （２）

伝説めく金日成：さすがに緊迫感漂う三長

[...] この夜、旅舎、栄屋の洋灯の下で又しても匪賊の話がはずんだ。ここは矢張り現地であるだけに聞く話も非常に実感が伴って来る（語る人は、筒井警察部長、三輪高等課長と記者団）。

「金日成という男はいったいどんな男だろうかね？一説には先年東辺道で討伐軍に殺されて以来、実在の人間では無いなどと言われているようだが...」

「いや立派に実在の人間なんだ。現に数年前ある新聞記者がその本拠を訪ねて会っている。写真にも出なかったが確かに、金日成に逢うの記...というのが新聞に載って大きなセンセイションを掻き起したことがある」

「そいつは少し眉唾ものでは無かったかね。併し、実在の人間には違いない。彼の出身地は咸南甲山だといわれていたが、本当は平北だそうだ。幼少の頃、父は万歳騒ぎで死刑になったが、それから彼は父の衣鉢をついで民族主義運動に走り匪賊となった。いわば奴は哀れなる宿命の子なんだね。しかしまた三十そこそこだそうだが、匪賊の面目として師団長格なんだから相当な傑物には違いないね」

「今度お越しのお客さんは、この金日成の親分で、呉白龍という奴だそうだ。呉白龍はいま[??]附近にいるそうだが、どうかね、一つ呉白龍に会うの記でも書いたら。確かに、近頃大したスクープだが誰か行って見る勇気は無いか？」

[...]

[Sources]

普天堡の戦い - Wikipedia

https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1937-11-18

https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1939-05-28

https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1939-06-16