Bleeding March 1st Movement

On March 1, 2025, South Korea experienced a national holiday filled with protests, each chanting different slogans.

The March 1st Movement was sparked by the funeral of Emperor Gojong. Opinions on Gojong vary, but as a monarch, his leadership and capabilities were neither competent nor just. During the Korean Empire period, Gojong undeniably pursued national strength and prosperity, but his approach was embarrassingly unrealistic.

It is common for late-developing nations to modernize under state-led initiatives. However, Gojong completely blurred the lines between the imperial family and the state. He redirected all national resources and tax revenues from government finances to royal income, and every modernization project was conducted under direct royal administration.

During this period, the Independence Club opposed the transfer of Korea’s natural resources and forest development rights to foreign entities. At the same time, it also had to resist the imperial family’s encroachment. Some may argue that monarchs of other dynasties behaved similarly and that there were comparable cases in other countries. That is true—Gojong himself studied Japan and other foreign models extensively.

Upon examining the governmental structure and national administration he established, it is difficult to give him a passing grade. He was incompetent and excessively greedy. When historians evaluate figures or events, the challenge lies in balancing intent and outcome. Even if Gojong’s intentions were acknowledged, they could not be assessed without considering the realities and capabilities. Under Gojong’s rule, the nation was deeply divided in terms of both national opinions and methodology. Amidst this, Gojong acted myopically and self-servingly. The reason the people spoke with one voice on his funeral day was that they were already confronting the devastating reality of the loss of sovereignty.

March 1, 2025, became a day of division because, unlike in the past, the outcome remains uncertain. Politics is now driven by incompetence and extreme self-interest, and even the fundamental principles of democracy are being denied. There was only one Gojong in the past, but there are far too many today.