Since 2008 there have been heated disputes in Korean society and academia over the starting point of the establishment of the Republic of Korea (ROK). On one hand, August 15th of 1948 is regarded as the birthday of the establishment of the ROK. On the other hand, the birth of the Provisional Government of the ROK in 1919 as the birthday. The former stresses the historic importance of 1948, while the latter the symbolic meaning of 1919. This kind of dispute, however, is caused by the standpoint that neglects development processes of elements of the background of the launching of the ROK itself. For the first time in Korean history, a democratic republic launched and was approved internationally in 1948. 1948 thus has the creative and sole meaning of the birth of the ROK by having the necessary elements of a state.However, it can not be denied that the present ROK has been developed in relation to the Korean Empire in 1897 and the Provisional Government of the ROK in 1919. 1897 meant the acquisition of national sovereignty independent from the Middle Kingdom system, and 1919 meant the establishment of elements of the sovereignty of the people, not as subjects of a king.The ROK was born in lieu of this developmental process taking advantages of the opportunity of liberalization in 1945. Therefore, we should not underestimate the establishment of the ROK in 1948 while cherishing only the establishment of the Provisional Government. Likewise, we do not need to underestimate the meaning of the Korean Empire and the Provisional Government while cherishing only the meaning of the 1948 establishment of the ROK. Those are all important elements in Korean history, and each reinforces each other's importance.