Japanese incursion into Jeju Island

The Japanese incursion into Jeju Island, described as the Liberation of Jeju by the Japanese military forces involved, was a brief military clash on Jeju Island between the State of Japan and the Republic of "South" Korea. It occurred on 18 March 2025 when the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force landed troops on Jeju Island, falsely thinking the Democratic People's Republic of "North" Korea had invaded the islands. They fired on the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, thinking they were of North Korea. The clash resulted in 38 South Korean deaths, 17 Japanese deaths, and 92 civilian deaths.
== Timeline ==
=== Controversy building on Jeju ===
According to Japanese media, the North Korean military captured Jeju Island as part of the Korean conflict on 14 March 2025. This claim was discredited by the governments of both North Korea and South Korea. However, Admiral Hiroshi Yamamura of Japan's navy believed these claims to be true. He began organizing the "Jeju Liberation Naval Force" on 15 March 2025. On 16 March 2025, higher ups in the Japanese military demanded the Jeju Liberation Naval Force be disbanded. Hiroshi Yamamura agreed to this and publicly declared the force unecessary, yet continued building it in secret. On 17 March 2025, the Jeju Liberation Naval Force was publicly declared 'complete' by Hiroshi Yamamura, declaring it was not dissolved. He was promptly booted from Japan's navy. However, he continued organizing the force. The forces set out for Jeju that night.
=== Incursion begins (Jungmun Saekdal Landing & Battle of Seogwipo) ===
On the early morning of 18 March 2025, the Jeju Liberation Naval Force landed on the Jungmun Saekdal Beach of Jeju Island. They captured the beach with very low resistance, but shot at many civilians that were sight, calling them "North Korean agents". The incursion force began moving swiftly eastwards along the coast of the island and attacked the city of Seogwipo. The city was guarded by a few hundred South Koreans who had built up there in fear the Jeju Liberation Naval Force were going to invade the island. Fierce fighting broke out between the Japanese and South Koreans. The Japanese fired on them harshly and attacked every soldier and civilian in the city. Around this time, the Japanese government had ordered the arrest of Hiroshi Yamamura.
=== Incursion force fails (Siege of Jeju & Jeju Counteroffensive) ===
Within twenty minutes of the battle, Seogwipo had fallen to the Japanese incursion force. The Jeju Liberation Naval Force had decided to move further north and go after Jeju City itself. The Japanese forces launched a swift offensive northwards and reached the outskirts of Jeju City. The Japanese put a heavy and deadly bombardment on Jeju City and fired at many of the people inside. The local South Korean police managed to move South Korean civilians into safe areas from the bombardment. South Korean police and military forces closed in around the Japanese captured areas and fired at stationed Japanese soldiers. The South Koreans moved on the Japanese forces, forcing them to retreat southwards. The forces besieging Jeju were left isolated and cut off from their southern supply line. Large amounts of the Japanese forces stationed in the south of Jeju realized that they were fighting South Koreans and not North Koreans and began to mutiny. Hiroshi Yamamura, who had stationed a Japanese military camp at Jungmun Saekdal Beach, was captured by the mutineers and handed over to South Korean authorities. The Siege of Jeju effectively collapsed with their leader captured and their forces in mutiny. The Jeju Liberation Naval Force's officers surrendered.
== Aftermath ==
With the incursion force having failed, Hiroshi Yamamura was handed over to the Japanese authorities by South Korea and executed. The Jeju Liberation Naval Force was laballed a 'terrorist organization' by both Japan and South Korea. The Japanese government signed a formal apology towards the South Korean government afterwards.
Category:World of Shattering