The Korean Declaration of Independence (Korean: 3·1독립선언서; lit. 'March 1st Declaration of Independence') is the statement adopted by the 33 Korean representatives meeting at Taehwagwan, the restaurant located in what is now Insa-dong, Jongno District, Seoul on March 1, 1919, four months after the end of World War I, which announced that Korea would no longer tolerate Japanese rule.

As reported by the New York Times in 1919, "Korea has proclaimed its independence. What was formerly the Hermit Kingdom, in this, the 4,232 year of its existence, declares through a document signed by thirty-three citizens the liberty of the Korean People"

This was the beginning of the March First Movement, which was violently suppressed by Japanese authorities, as well as the cornerstone of the establishment of the Korean Provisional Government one month later. Nearly thirty years later, Korea's true independence came after the surrender of the Empire of Japan at the end of World War II.

The development of a Korean Declaration of Independence started after the heads of the Christian and Cheondogyo independence movements combined their efforts for Korean Independence out of solidarity that it was something that concerned the entire Korean race. Initially, the Christian leaders elected to write a petition of two or three hundred influential persons to send to the Japanese government as they felt that the Korean people may not view them as qualified individuals to declare independence. However, when the movements were combined, it was decided both a petition and Declaration of Independence would be developed to help portray a stronger expression of their desire for self-determination, an idea from the Paris Peace Conference that played a role in the declarations content.

The Christian leaders from the outset recognized the difference between a declaration of independence and a petition. A declaration of independence presented the Japanese government with a fait accompli. The Japanese government had to accept it, which was problematical, or reject it and arrest the authors as presumptuous traitors

— Frank P. Baldwin, "The March First Movement: Korean Challenge and Japanese Response"

The leaders in the creation of the declaration realized that this had not been the first attempt at a Korean Declaration of Independence, as students in Tokyo had recently published the February 8 Declaration of Independence.

The February 8 Declaration focused heavily on the outrage and frustrations of Koreans by primarily focus on the deceits and lies that led to Korea's annexation as well as presenting a long history of deceptions committed by Japan against Korea. Ideas relating to liberty, justice, and peace would carry over directly to the Korean Declaration of Independence developed for the March First Movement. The biggest difference that the drafters wanted to establish between the two, however, would be that the Korean Declaration of Independence would be a lot more moderate and emotionally detached in the presentation of its content.