Shanghai National Salvation Adventure Group is a bomb-making organization formed on Shanghai, China on June 1919. Shanghai National Salvation Group holds significance as an organization in charge of making weapons, especially bombs, in the process of preparing the independence war in the early stage of Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. While existing researches recognized the importance in presence of ‘National Salvation Adventure Group’, they didn''t analyze it in details. Thus, this study analyzed the organization and activities of National Salvation group in details.
Shanghai National Salvation Adventure Group was organized on 24 ho, Aein-ri, Jangbin-ro, French Concession, Shanghai, China on June 12, 1919. With the central organization in Shanghai, National Salvation Adventure Group installed several branches on Shenyang China, Jilin, and New Korean town(新韓村) in Russia. In Shanghai branch, bombs were made in several places. Among the places, 24 ho, Aein-ri, Shanghai, which was the house of the group head, Sunggeun Kim, is regarded as the central head office. On November 20, 1919, National Salvation Adventure Group installed a branch on the representative local organization, New Korean Town in Russia to raise fund and make bombs. Installing the branch in New Korean Town can be seen as the provisional government’s preparation for practicing independence war.
National Salvation Adventure Group can be divided in to Shanghai branch, Jilin and Shenyang branch, and Korean Town branch. The members of Shanghai branch were mostly in direct relationship with the provisional government. Later, they joined Young Korean Academy(興士團) or led various patriotic struggles and armed struggles. Members of Jilin branch later founded Euiyeoldan (義烈團, Armed Independence Movement Group) while members of Shenyang branch were related to Korean Independence Youth Group(大韓獨立靑年團). In addition, the members of New Korean Town in Russia were from Gwonuphwei (勸業會, Anti-Japanese Independence Group) or Shinhanchon Assembly and they played a significant role in laying the foundation for Korean society in Russia.
The activities of National Salvation Adventure Group are as follows. First, National Salvation Adventure Group was involved in bomb making activities. National Salvation Group made bombs with the fund from the provisional government of fund raised from the branches. More than 100 bombs were made and the bombs resembled the Russian-type bomb. However, National Salvation Adventure Group couldn’t continue official activities after June 1920 due to frequent explosion of bombs. Nevertheless, the members cooperated with the provisional government and Euiyeoldan to continue bomb making activities continuously. In addition, National Salvation Adventure Group in charge of purchasing and carrying bombs. Bombs were mainly sent to the independence group in Western Kando(西間島). Furthermore, National Salvation Adventure Group was involved in carrying <Independence Newspaper> in addition to bombs. Furthermore, National Salvation Group focused on cultivating technicians for making bombs. National Salvation Adventure Group actively invited foreign teachers and accommodated foreign technologies by learning directly. This resulted in cultivating competent technicians specialized in making bombs.
National Salvation Group holds following significances. First, it shows the historic fact that people were preparing for armed struggles other than diplomatic measures after founding the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai. Second, National Salvation Adventure Group used all ways and means to cultivate the capacity to produce weapons independently. Lastly, National Salvation Group continued organized activities in overseas regions including Shanghai, China, and Russia. All activities of National Salvation Group played important role in the provisional government’s preparation for independence war in early 1920s.