HEADQUARTERS
UNITED STATES ARMY FORCES IN KOREA
Office of the Military Governor
Seoul, Korea
ORDINANCENUMBER 19
30 October 1945
After four long years of war, form which they emerged victorious, American Forces landed upon your shores the friends and protectors of the Korean people. They came for the avowed purpose of requiring the complete and permanent eviction of all Japanese military forces from Korea and eliminating all Japanese Militaristic and nationalistic ideology. In addition to that objective, the Military Government was instructed to take steps to effect complete political and administrative separation of Korea from Japanese social, economic, and financial control; to facilitate development of a sound Korean economy and to work towards the restoration of a free, independent and responsible Korea. The program of Military Government included taking over all Japanese property as rapidly as possible for the benefit of the Korean people, relieving labor from the condition of absolute servitude under which it had been wrested from them by Japanese guile and treachery, and giving to the farmer a fair and just proportion of the fruits of his sweat and labor, restoring the preallies of a free marker, giving to every man, woman and child within the country equal opportunity to enjoy his just and fair share of great wealth which this beautiful nation has been endowed Upon the arrival of the American Forces the Americans found that to aupport the war Japan drained food and other living commodities from Korea until she was weak from starvation. Production of consumer goods had all but ceased. There was a wholesale embezzlement of Government funds. The currency had been deliberately inflated. Law and order was immediately established. All seized property that could possibly be of benefit to the Korean people was preserved for their was Grain was moved to areas where starvation existed. Because of the long continued exploitation of Korea's wealth and the oppression of her people, and the fact that the people had been prohibited from carrying out during the years of Japanese oppression those pursuits of life and happiness which are normal to a rich and aggressive race, the people have not been able to produce goods fast enough to prevent widespread malnutrition, disease, and suffering during the coming winter. In addition, certain groups, with the sole idea of acquiring the wealth of the Korean people for themselves, have prevented labor from returning to employment, children from returning to school, and farmers from selling the produce of their lands. Such conditions have created within Korea an emergency which measures which will inure to their benefit. As all of the people know the American Nation is a powerful nation. Its people, however, are gentle with the true gentleness that comes only through an appreciation of their own good fortune and in their desire to protect others against adversity. At this time the representatives of the American people in Korea foresee that their friends, the Korean people, are threatened in their security and right to be warm and well fed during the coming winter. Facilities, raw materials, and labor are available within the country which, if utilized properly, will prevent suffering. Rigid emergency controls are therefore hereby established, in order to prevent such conditions from existing which will harm the people. Such temporary measures will be withdrawn as quickly as the emergency ceases.
The right of any individual or group of individual to accept employment and to work unmolested shall be respected and protected. any interference with this right is unlawful. In the interest of preventing suspension reduction of output in industrials which are declared by the Military Government of Korea to be essential to the people's livelihood, disputes arising over terms and conditions of labor will be settled by a mediation board set up by the Military Government of Korea whose decision will be final and binding on all parties. Until the matter is presented to the Labor Mediation Board and a decision is reached, production will continue.
To aid in assuring an equitable distribution of commodities necessary to the livelihood of the people, at a price within the financial resources of the people, the hoarding of essential commodities and/or their sale at an excessive price, which would result in profiteering at the expense of the people, is hereby declared unlawful.