In the year 1545, Emperor Heroito broadcasts Japan's surrender to the Allies.

When people in Korea heard the speech, they poured into the streets in celebration.

Koreans, 75,000 strong celebrate their liberation from Japanese rule.

It had been the Soviet Red Army that had liberated Korea.

One scholar writes, quote,

Panyashavshina, a member of the Soviet consulate stationed in Seoul,

was there to bear witness, quote,

every two or three hundred meters,

their spontaneous assemblies, and quote,

of people making impassions, speeches, singing, crying, and embracing.

In villages throughout the peninsula, people began organizing almost immediately,

creating peacekeeping and self-governing organizations to take over the colonial administration.

Toward the end of the war in 1945, after defeating Hitler,

the Red Army had rolled into Korea, captured Japanese intelligence reports,

confirm the Soviet consulate workers' diary.

Quote,

Soviet forces and Korean committees are taking charge of public security.

All policemen have been disarmed.

All Japanese are in a state of extreme terror.

Though the city is generally quiet and calm,

Koreans are demonstrating with Soviet and Korean flags and pasting posters everywhere.

But days before Heroito's speech, two mid-level American officials

...