The Reorganization of the Korean Volunteer Army and the Struggle for Autonomy

This study examines the restructuring of the Korean Volunteer Army (KVA), with a focus on the conflicting approaches of the Chinese authorities and the Korean leadership. From its inception, the KVA embodied a dual identity: it was both a nationalist organization committed to Korea’s independence and an international unit mobilized in support of China’s war against Japan. The Political Department of the Military Affairs Commission sought to incorporate the KVA, alongside the Taiwanese Volunteer Army, into a unified international volunteer Army system under strict supervision. In contrast, the Korean National Front Federation and the KVA Supervisory Committee endeavored to safeguard the unit’s autonomy. Although their efforts persisted, the eventual ratification of organizational regulations by the Chinese authorities substantially restricted the KVA’s independence. The Korean leadership responded by adhering to its own expansion plan, yet the excessive control exerted by the Chinese side became a significant factor in the subsequent withdrawal of the KVA’s main forces to North China. These developments demonstrate that the restructuring of the KVA was not a mere administrative adjustment but a key episode that exposed the underlying tension between nationalism and internationalism within the organization.