What did the Moscow Conference of 1945 propose for Korea?

At the Moscow Conference held in December 1945, the Council of Foreign Ministers—representing the United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain—proposed the creation of a four-power trusteeship for Korea that would last for up to five years.1

To facilitate the establishment of a unified Korean government, the conference also mandated the formation of a Joint U.S.-U.S.S.R. Commission, comprised of representatives from the rival American and Soviet military commands in Korea. This commission was tasked with consulting with Korean political groups to prepare for unification, though its efforts ultimately failed to resolve the political impasse between the occupying powers.2

The proposal for a trusteeship was met with widespread and violent opposition from the Korean population, who desired immediate self-government.1