Government-General of Korea

Based on the Second Japan-Korea Treaty (also known as the Eulsi Protectorate Treaty) of 1905 (Meiji 38), this was a Japanese governing body for Korea that was established on February 1st of the following year. The first Resident-General was Ito Hirobumi. Having won the Russo-Japanese War, Japan felt it was necessary to strip Korea of ​​its diplomatic rights in order to monopolise Korea. Japan had already secured the support of Britain and America through the Katsura-Taft Agreement (July 1905) and the Second Anglo-Japanese Alliance (August 1905), and on November 17th, 1905, it concluded the Second Japan-Korea Treaty, which included the complete stripping of Korea's diplomatic rights and placing a Resident-General under the Korean Emperor. The five Korean ministers who signed this treaty were called the "Five Traitors of Eulsi" and became the target of public anger. The following February, the Resident-General was opened in Seoul, and Council Offices were established in important locations such as Incheon, Busan, and Wonsan, diplomatic agencies in various foreign countries were abolished, and foreign envoys left Seoul. The Resident-General had broad authority over Joseon's domestic affairs, and could even order the use of military forces stationed in Joseon when necessary. From this point on, the colonization of Joseon was definitive.

[Setsuko Miyata]

"A Short History of the Japan-Korea Annexation" by Kentaro Yamabe (Iwanami Shinsho)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1905年（明治38）の第二次日韓協約（乙巳(いっし)保護条約ともいう）に基づき、翌年2月1日に開設された日本の朝鮮統治機関。初代統監は伊藤博文(ひろぶみ)。日露戦争に勝利した日本は、朝鮮を独占的に支配するためには、外交権の剥奪(はくだつ)が必要だと考えた。すでに桂(かつら)‐タフト協定（1905年7月）や第二次日英同盟（1905年8月）によって英米の支持を取り付けていた日本は、05年11月17日、朝鮮の外交権の完全な剥奪、韓国皇帝の下に統監を置くなどを内容とする第二次日韓協約を締結した。この条約に調印した朝鮮の5大臣は「乙巳の五賊」とよばれ、民衆の怒りの的となった。翌06年2月ソウルに統監府が開庁し、仁川(じんせん／インチョン)、釜山(ふざん／プサン)、元山(げんざん／ウォンサン)など重要な地には理事庁が置かれ、諸外国の外交機関は廃止され、外国公使はソウルを去った。統監は朝鮮の内政にも及ぶ広範な権限をもち、必要なときは朝鮮駐箚(ちゅうさつ)軍の使用を命ずることさえできる支配者であった。このときから朝鮮の植民地化は決定的となった。

［宮田節子］

『山辺健太郎著『日韓併合小史』（岩波新書）』

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