본 논문은 태평양 말기 미국과 일본이 한반도의 군사적 가치를 어떻게 평가하고 이에 대해 어떻게 반응하였는지 고찰한 논문이다. 본 논문은 미국의 태평양 전쟁 수행의 전략 전반을 조망하였으며 특히 종전기 미 합참 내부에서 일본 본토 침공 작전을 논의할 때 한반도에 관하여 이루어진 논의를 분석하였고, 일본군이 한반도 그중에서도 제주도에서 행한 전쟁 준비의 실체를 살펴보았다. 본 논문은 미군이 스스로 인식하였던 것과 달리 한반도에 상륙작전을 감행하지 않았으며 일본군은 제주도에서 치밀한 준비를 한 것을 조명하였다. 미군은 태평양전쟁을 수행하면서 오렌지계획에 입각하여 전쟁을 수행해 왔으며 미국이 아시아까지 진출하기 전까지 대일 작전은 잠수함 작전에 의한 봉쇄와 장거리 폭격기에 의한 전략 폭격을 축으로 하여 이루어졌다. 전황이 진행되어 미국이 필리핀을 함락하자 미 합참은 종전 전략으로 일본의 무조건 항복을 받기 위하여 침공을 결정하였다. 미군은 일본의 산업 중심지역인 혼슈를 점령하는 것을 목표로 정하였다. 미군은 일본 혼슈에 대한 공격을 용이하게 진행하기 위하여 중간작전 대상을 선정하였는데 이에는 규슈가 선정되었다. 그리고 규슈의 공격을 위하여 보조작전 지역을 선정할 것을 고려하였다. 미군은 이 과정에서 각 중간작전과 보조작전을 위한 후보지로서 한반도를 심각하게 고려하였다. 이는 미군이 한반도가 일본 공격을 위한 중요한 통로임을 잘 인식하고 있었기 때문이었다. 그러나 미군은 한반도의 지형이 험난하고 상륙에 적합한 지역이 흔치 않으며 일본으로부터 대규모 증원이 가능하여 주 작전보다 장기전으로 발전할 가능성이 있다고 판단하여 번번이 한반도를 작전 후보지역에서 제외하였다. 그리고 이러한 판단의 배경에는 전반적인 미군의 병력 부족이 자리하고 있었다. 일본군은 미군이 한반도 전역에 대한 작전 가능성을 고려하였던 것과 달리 한반도 남부 특히 제주도에 방어 역량을 집중하였다. 일본군은 본토 방어를 위한 한반도 작전에서 미군이 일본 본토로 향하는 통로를 차단하는데 중점을 두었던 것이다.

This study attempts to reveal U.S. and Japanese assessments of the Korean Peninsula in terms of military usefulness and military preparations based on the evaluation of the countries during the Pacific War. This paper focused on debates in the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staffs over Korea for supplementary operations of invasion on Japanese homeland as well as Japanese preparations to defend their homeland in Korea. The United States had conducted the war based on Plan Orange, and made direct attacks on Japan by using submarines to strangle Japanese economy and long-range bombers to cut Japanese will to fight. After landing at the Philippines, the United States decided to invade Japan to end the war on their terms: unconditional surrender. The U.S. planners chose industrial centers in the mainland of Japan as final targets to be obliterated. To make favorable conditions of final invasion, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staffs considered launching a supplementary operation. Korea was one of the candidate places for the operation; Kyusyu, instead of Korea, was selected for this operation. At the same time, the U.S. planners began to search another place to support Kyusyu-operation. In this process, the Korean Peninsula had been considered as an appropriate place for the secondary operation. However, the U.S. planners finally rejected the Korean Peninsula for the operations because of Korea’s rugged terrain, lack of good beachheads, and the possibility of massive reinforcement of Japanese troops from China and Japan. The planners were concerned about a long-deferred Korean operation that would undermine efforts for the main operation. Moreover, lack of troops compelled the planners to abandon more operations. Unlike the U.S. planners who considered the whole peninsula as an operational site, Japanese planners devised defensive measures focusing on southern part of Korea, in particular Jeju Island. The Japanese intention was to cut American movement from the South Chinese Sea to Japanese homeland.

This study attempts to reveal U.S. and Japanese assessments of the Korean Peninsula in terms of military usefulness and military preparations based on the evaluation of the countries during the Pacific War. This paper focused on debates in the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staffs over Korea for supplementary operations of invasion on Japanese homeland as well as Japanese preparations to defend their homeland in Korea. The United States had conducted the war based on Plan Orange, and made direct attacks on Japan by using submarines to strangle Japanese economy and long-range bombers to cut Japanese will to fight. After landing at the Philippines, the United States decided to invade Japan to end the war on their terms: unconditional surrender. The U.S. planners chose industrial centers in the mainland of Japan as final targets to be obliterated. To make favorable conditions of final invasion, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staffs considered launching a supplementary operation. Korea was one of the candidate places for the operation; Kyusyu, instead of Korea, was selected for this operation. At the same time, the U.S. planners began to search another place to support Kyusyu-operation. In this process, the Korean Peninsula had been considered as an appropriate place for the secondary operation. However, the U.S. planners finally rejected the Korean Peninsula for the operations because of Korea’s rugged terrain, lack of good beachheads, and the possibility of massive reinforcement of Japanese troops from China and Japan. The planners were concerned about a long-deferred Korean operation that would undermine efforts for the main operation. Moreover, lack of troops compelled the planners to abandon more operations. Unlike the U.S. planners who considered the whole peninsula as an operational site, Japanese planners devised defensive measures focusing on southern part of Korea, in particular Jeju Island. The Japanese intention was to cut American movement from the South Chinese Sea to Japanese homeland.

the Pacific War, the Invasion of Japanese Homeland, The Korean Peninsular, Plan Orange, the 58th Army