Japanese+in+Korea

=**__Japanese Imperialism in Korea__**=

__1895__ - The assassination.
In 1895, Empress Myeongseong was assassinated by Japanese agents. Queen Min began to emerge as a key figure in higher-level Korean counteraction against Japanese influence. Japan, seeing its designs endangered by the queen, quickly replaced its ambassador to Korea, Inoue Kaoru, with Miura Goro, a diplomat with a background in the Japanese military. The Japanese minister to Korea, Miura Goro was responsible for plotting the plan to assassinate the Empress. A group of Japanese agents entered the imperial palace in Seoul, which was under Japanese guard, and Empress Myeongseong was killed in the palace. The empress had attempted to counter Japanese interference in Korea and was considering turning to Russia or China for support. This was a key event to the colonization of Korea by the Japanese because it helped to take down the monarchy in Korea. The assassination of the Empress resulted in the destabilized the government which then lead to civil unrest among the citizens of Korea. Therefore making it easier for the Japanese to end up establishing a big influence in Korea during the Russo-Japanese war.



__1904-1905__ - Japan established influence in Korea during the Russo-Japanese war.
The Russo-Japanese War began on February 8, 1904, as a result of a disagreement between Russia and Japan over who would have power of Korea and Manchuria. After the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Russia, they battled for almost a year and finally conquered in 1905. The defeated Russians signed the “Treaty of Portsmouth” which recognized Japan as the main power in Korea and the Russians signed over their leases to the land. However, both nations agreed to return Manchuria to China. 1) This event plays a huge role in the imperialism and colonization of Korea because if Japan wouldn't have gone to war against Russia to fight for power over both Korea and Manchuria then Russia would have kept their land leases from China over Korea. However, because they did battle and conquer the Russians, the Russians agreed to sign over their leases to Japan.

__1910__ - The official colonization of Korea by the Japanese.


Japan officially took control over Korea when the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty was signed by the Empire of Japan as well as the Korean Empire on August 22, 1910. The treaty became effective to the public on August 29, officially starting the period of Japanese rule in Korea. After taking over the Japanese rule banned any teaching of Korean language and history, therefore they burned almost all historical documents. The Koreans were forced to take Japanese names and to speak and learn in Japanese as well. Farmers were forced of their land and others were forced to stay and fulfill Japan’s grain quotas. Buildings were taken over and used for military purposes, resulting in Korean business being handed over to the Japanese officials. 2) The signing of the treaty allowed Japan to fully take control over Korea and completely impose their new laws and ways of life on the Koreans. They ruled out any possibilities or chances for the Korean citizens to act out against their laws because of their strict consequences that were implied with any laws. With so many Japanese officials watching over them it had become virtually impossible to fight for their freedom and rights. Eventually the Koreans got unruly and fought back leading to the independence movement.

__1919__ - The independence movement.
On March 1, 1919 the student of Seoul erupted in a non-violent protest against Japanese rule and the Korean Declaration of Independence was read. The last Korean king from the royal family had died, and rumors were spread that it had been another assassination by the Japanese officials. However, the Koreans were enraged when the Japanese put restrictions on the mourning of their king at the funeral. The leaders of this movement called the central police station to inform them of their action and afterwards were arrested. The movement resulted in many changes of imperial policies towards Korea. The Japanese lessened their military control over the citizens soon after, as a precaution so there wouldn't be another outburst. 2) This movement, also known as the Samil Movement, changed many aspects of life for the Koreans, making it significant to the history of Japans imperialism in Korea. For example, women had found new chances to express their opinions and ideas. For the first time, ideas of female liberation were allowed to be printed because of the movement. The impact of this event became so important that on May 24, 1949, March 1st became a national holiday in South Korea.

__1945__ - Korea regains its independence.
The year of 1945 was a desperate year for the Japanese. After atomic bombs had been dropped by the both the United States and the Soviet Union, the government itself was beginning to fall apart and was deliberating whether to surrender or not. As for the citizens, millions had died in the bombings, and the millions left were starving. The Japanese had very little amount of military forces left to fight the Soviet Union, as many had been killed in battle. It became obvious to the government that it was time to surrender. On September 2nd a fleet of Allied ships landed in Tokyo Bay and on that ship the Japanese signed the formal surrender document. Followed by the signing of the documents the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to divide Korea, as well allowed both parts to run their own governments. 2), 4) Finally, the end of Japanese rule over Korea was important for both Korean history and Japanese history. For the Koreans it was the beginning of new way of life with their own forms of government and laws. For the Japanese it was the loss of a land that gave them farmland, raw materials and security.

__ The Impact of Imperialism __
Short Term Effects || Negative Short Term Effects || Positive Long Term Effects || Negative Long Term Effects || However by the end of 1910 it had dropped to 129,600. 10) || By the year 1945 when Japan surrendered, the population of Korea was now 272, 750. 10) || The population of Korea probably would have been a higher number now if the Japanese hadn’t used such strong military force against them in the first year of rule. || During Japanese rule many Korean artifacts were stolen. The Japanese altered many public monuments such as memorials, and temples. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">In the long run the Koreans ended up with better educations than they would have received beforehand. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Throughout the imperialism of Korea, many Korean families lost their identities and now their descendants have no way to recall their original culture. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">11) || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">As a result of being forced of their land many women and daughters were sent to factories to work where they learned new skills. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">11) || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">By 1932, the Japanese owned 52.7 percent of all arable land. This made it hard for the Koreans to make a way of life because they had very little farmland to grow food from. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">11) || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">However Japan invested lots of money into schools, and the extension of highways and railways. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">All industries were virtually owned by Japanese, making it harder and harder for the Koreans to prosper economically. In the short term, the Koreans suffered economically because the Japanese weren’t giving them any chances to thrive. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">After the money and effort had been put into extending the highways and railways transportation had become a lot faster, meanings goods and services could be exchanged quicker, gaining more money for Japan. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">In 1942, it was found that the indigenous capital was only 1.5 percent of the total capital for Korean industries. Korean entrepreneurs were charged a higher interest rate than the average Japanese, so it was difficult for the Korean companies to be successful. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">12) ||
 * <span style="color: #0b0ba8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Dimensions || <span style="color: #0b0ba8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Positive
 * <span style="color: #0b0ba8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Population || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">With the population decreasing in Korea that means that more Koreans could get jobs and the Japanese could find jobs in Korea as well. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">At the beginning of 1910 the population of Korea was 137,500 people.
 * <span style="color: #0b0ba8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Political Autonomy || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Even though they had very little or no independence that meant that the citizens of Korea had to focus on their education or work, becoming a more successful society. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">The Japanese used their military as the main enforcement for the Koreans. This means that Korea basically had no independence from Japan, and if they tried to rebel they would be imprisoned or killed. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Since Korea lost their independence to Japan, Japan made Korea into one of the most productive countries by the time Korea regained its independence. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">After Japanese rule had ended and Korea split into two different types of government, North and South Korea went to war against each other and are no longer exactly a “peaceful whole.” ||
 * <span style="color: #0b0ba8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Culture and Language || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">They were taught new skills and language as a result of the Japanese taking over. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">The Japanese stopped all learning and teaching of Korean language and history. They were forced to switch their names to Japanese and had to learn Japanese as well.
 * <span style="color: #0b0ba8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Land and Resources || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Many Japanese settlers acquired land in Korea, which made the Koreans very unhappy. The Japanese treated the land like it was all theirs and they forgot that people had been already living there previously. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">The Koreans were forced off of their land because of the Japanese coming over from Japan. By the end of 1910 the Japanese owned 7-8 percent of all arable land in Korea.
 * <span style="color: #0b0ba8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Economic Well-Being || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">At first the economy went down because of the rate of death in the first couple years of Japanese rule.


 * __Sources:__**

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