In 1910, Korea was officially annexed by Japan. Almost immediately, more Japanese settlers began arriving in the country looking for opportunities. Eventually, more Koreans would also come to Japan in search of more opportunities, becoming the Zainichi.

While Koreans had rights to their land by the 1920s, the Japanese began their quest of modernizing Korea. This involved increasing industrialization capacities, as well as building more “modern” inventions within the cities, such as department stores.

The Japanese attitude towards Koreans, and its other colonial subjects, were that they considered them to be backwards. Japanese culture was a way to move forward for such groups and classes, hence why assimilation was as end goal.

As more Koreans began to pursue an education in Japan, they began organizing associations to fight for Korean rights. While less schools were available domestically for Koreans, if they could afford it they would go to Japan. All three of the colonial writers studied throughout this process were some of the first women to be educated in such a way.

In 1919, the March 1st Movement began. As Koreans were increasingly expected to assimilate into Japanese culture and society, this began as a series of protests calling for Korean liberation. Approximately 7,500 people were killed, 16,000 wounded, and 46,000 arrested.

During the 1920s, Japanese policies towards assimilation had relaxed somewhat after the crackdown that happened during the March 1st Movement. However, at the end of this period the relaxation began to turn into a complete crackdown.

It was in this period that an increasing number of women began to receive their education and become more literate. An increasing number of women also began to pursue their education abroad in Japan, but also at schools like Ewha.

Schools would often teach in the Japanese style, and students would learn Japanese rather than Korean. The 1920s were a prolific time for New Woman writers and activists advocating for women’s rights, although the Confucian and patriarchal ideals remained dominant in intellectual and political circles.

The Japanese also continued collecting and taking away Korean artifact, tearing down traditional structure and palaces in favor of new new, Japanese-inspired ones. Korean activist and resistance groups became increasingly active, especially abroad in China and Manchuria.

It was in the 1930s that the Japanese turned to war, but also began violently cracking down on Korean culture and society. Assimilation was considered the end goal, and in 1939 the law stating that Korean couldn’t have Japanese last name was overturned. Many were forced to adopt Japanese names in order to have access to rations.

Military rule in Korea began in 1931; it was a response to the Korean resistance efforts abroad. Korea, considered a bread basket of the colonies, was a large supplier of Japanese grain during the war efforts.

The 1930s would not be a kind time for the women of the 1920s who were activists. Prominent New Woman writer were shamed and cast out of intellectual circles, eventually dying of poverty as they were ostracized from the worlds they inhabited.

As World War II’s intensity increased, Korean women were taken by the Japanese government to become comfort women, or sexual companions. This was not by choice, and if it was, many women were tricked into becoming comfort women.

Korea was liberated with the surrender of Japan in 1945. Korea was divided into two zones: the Soviets took the North, and the Americans the South.