Song Byung-jun

A pro-Japanese politician in the final years of the Yi Dynasty in Korea. Born in Changjin, South Hamgyong Province. He passed his military studies thanks to the kindness of the powerful Min Young Hwan. After the Gapsin Coup, he was ordered to assassinate Kim Ok-gyun and came to Japan, but changed his mind and was considered a person of concern by the government, so he defected to Japan after the Sino-Japanese War. He stayed in Japan for 10 years under the name Noda Heijiro. He returned to Korea during the Russo-Japanese War and organized the Iljinhoe group to cooperate with Japan, joining the Ri Wanyong cabinet in 1907. He came to Japan in 1909 (Meiji 42) and was a leading advocate of the annexation of Korea, becoming a viscount and later a count after the annexation.

[Akira Nakatsuka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

朝鮮、李朝(りちょう)末期の親日政治家。咸鏡(かんきょう)南道長津出身。権門閔泳煥(びんえいかん)の知遇を得て武科に及第。甲申政変後、金玉均暗殺の命を受けて来日したが翻意し、政府の要注意人物と目され、日清(にっしん)戦争後日本に亡命した。野田平治郎の名で10年間滞日。日露戦争の際帰国し、一進会を組織して対日協力、1907年李完用内閣に入閣した。1909年（明治42）渡日、韓国併合を率先主張し、併合後、子爵、のち伯爵となった。

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