Taishō period Shōwa period Korean-Chinese joint operations Liberation forces operations Other The Battle of Pochonbo (Japanese: 普天堡の戦い, Hepburn: Futenho no tatakai) was an event which occurred in northern Korea, Empire of Japan on 4 June 1937 (Juche 26), when Korean and Chinese guerrillas commanded by Kim Il Sung (or possibly Choe Hyon)[3][4] attacked and defeated a Japanese detachment during the anti-Japanese armed struggle in Korea.

[1][2] Following combat, Kim Il Sung made a speech, where he noted that the Korean people "turn out as one in the sacred anti-Japanese war".

[3] But Kim Il Sung's absence from Japanese reports does not necessarily refute his presence in the battle, nor does the Choe Hyon's mention necessarily mean he was the top commander of the battle, as it only means Choe Hyon was the only commander on the Korean side whom the Japanese were able to identify.

The news of the battle was reported in numerous newspapers across the world, including the Soviet Union, China, Japan and France.

Since then, the North Korean government has continuously reinforced the importance of the Battle of Pochonbo and Kim Il Sung's role in it.

[11][12] The battle first entered the history textbook of South Korea in 2003, account Kim Il Sung's efforts on Anti-Japanese in relatively circumspect narratives.

[14] Samjiyon Grand Monument complex (area 100,000 m2) was completed in 1979 and includes a 15m-high statue of a Kim Il-sung, a huge square for rallies and many sculptures.