A New Look at the Annexation of Korea(Summary)
The Committee Against Government Apologies to Korea
In contrast to the insistence of masochistic Japanese as well as strident nationalist
Koreans, abundant historical evidence points out that Korea greatly benefited during
the period of annexation (1910-1945) and even before annexation. While current day
Koreans who cast Japan as evil could be faulted for lacking in historical perspective,
current day Japanese should indeed be chided for disregarding the context of theJapanese annexation, their cowardly response to Korean accusations and their“misplaced, hypocritical, and futile” compassion. The main point of the booklet is topresent facts of the Japanese annexation of Korea, which was undertaken entirely inaccordance with international law and highly dissimilar to Western colonialism aspracticed in Asia.
The book is divided into seven chapters, though there are three main points that theauthor emphasizes as indicated by the subtitle: The annexation of Korea wasabsolutely necessary; The annexation of Korea was not colonialist policy; Theannexation of Korea requires no apology.
The book outlines the regional circumstances prior to annexation and details theevents leading up to annexation. One needs to remember that Korea up to the end of
the 19th century was a tributary state of China and a frequent target of Russian designs
and at the same time China was invaded by numerous Western concessions.
Although China was a much larger country, the West admitted Japan as an “equalsovereign Power” after their victory in the First Sino-Japanese War. While Japan wasstrong enough to prevent foreign encroachment upon her territory, the Japanese also
recognized that Korea and China must modernize as well: “we three nations must pool
our resources to stave off invasions by Western forces.” With respect to Korea’s levelof development, Westerners, as well as Japanese, repeatedly observed how“uncivilized” and “backwards” Korea was in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Westerners reported their amazement of Korea’s modernization following annexation.
“Civilization,” a French reporter noted, “is defined as progress achieved by peacefulmeans. From this standpoint, Japan’s annexation of Korea will become a new facet ofFar Eastern prosperity and progress.” In fact, even before annexation, Japanesereforms to Korea’s finances and social inequality, brought about by centuries of abuseby “corrupt Court of attendants, soothsayers, fortune tellers, and foreign parasites,”
were met with praise by the West as well as ordinary Koreans.
In the drive to modernize, extensive investments were made in Korea’s transportationand communication infrastructure, hospitals and educational institutions, atconsiderable expense by both Japanese taxpayers and Japanese private investors. Also,use of the Hangul alphabet, shunned by the Korean literary elite as “inferior” toChinese, was encouraged by the Japanese and the Korean language itself underwent
modernization. Far from being suppressed, the Japanese encouraged the use of Hangul
and school books in Hangul were issued by the office of the Governor-General ofKorea. Furthermore, Japanese employees of the Governor-General were encouraged
to learn Korean. However, the preservation of the Korean language and culture, thedrive to free Korea from Chinese rule and Western intrusion and the drive tomodernize Korea at Japan’s expense have been entirely lost to modern Koreannationalists as well as hypocritical Japanese.