The era of liberation in modern South Korean historiography refers to the period from the surrender of the Japanese army on August 15, 1945 to the official proclamation of the independent state of the Republic of Korea in August 1948.1 From a historical point of view, the era of liberation, or, as it is traditionally called in South Korean historiography, Heban side, represents a very short period of time - only three years. Despite its short-term nature, the events that unfolded on the territory of Korea during the liberation era played a huge role in the future fate of the Korean people. It was these three years that largely predetermined the modern history of the Korean Peninsula, and more broadly, the entire Far Eastern region. Three years of intense internal conflict: the struggle of various political forces in South Korea for power, for national independence, for international recognition of self-proclaimed governments. Three years of the most severe socio-economic crisis, which turned into mass demonstrations of protest by workers and peasants throughout the territory occupied by American troops. Three years of continuous search for national unity, which ended in the tragic division of a single country into two independent states. What are the reasons for the split? What is the role of international forces in dividing the country? Was it possible to prevent the split? What is the significance of the internal factor, in particular political disunity, in the division of Korea? All these issues are generally relevant issues in the recent history of the Republic of Korea. For certain political reasons, the South Korean government did not welcome research on the history of Korea in the transition period of 1945-1948 for a long time. Mainly because the increased interest in this era could reveal a huge number of unpleasant facts from the point of view of state policy from the history of US-Korean relations, the activities of right-wing nationalists, Korean collabor ... Read more