Korea under Japanese rule facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Japanese Korea
1910–1945
Flag Seal of the Government-General of Korea
Korea (dark red) within the Empire of Japan (light red) at its furthest extent
Status	Colony of the Empire of Japan
Capital	Keijō (Gyeongseong)
Common languages	Japanese (official) Korean
Government	Monarchy
Emperor
• 1910–1912	Meiji
• 1912–1926	Taishō
• 1926–1945	Shōwa
Governor-General
• 1910–1916	Terauchi Masatake
• 1916–1919	Hasegawa Yoshimichi
• 1942–1944	Kuniaki Koiso
• 1944–1945	Nobuyuki Abe
Historical era	Empire of Japan
• Japanese protectorate	17 November 1905
• Annexation treaty signed	22 August 1910
• Annexation by Japan	29 August 1910
• March 1st Movement	1 March 1919
• Sōshi-kaimei order	1939
• Surrender of Japan	15 August 1945
Currency	Korean yen
Preceded by Succeeded by Korean Empire Soviet Civil Administration in Korea United States Army Military Government in Korea
Today part of	North Korea South Korea

Between in 1910 and 1945, the Empire of Japan placed Korea under Japanese rule or Japanese occupation. Joseon Korea had come into the Japanese sphere of influence with the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1876, and a complex coalition of the Meiji government, military, and business officials began a process of integrating the Korean peninsula's politics and economy with Japan. The Korean Empire (proclaimed in 1897) became a protectorate of Japan with the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905; thereafter Japan ruled the country indirectly through the Japanese Resident-General of Korea. Japan formally annexed Korea in 1910 in the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910, without the consent of the former Korean Emperor Gojong, the regent of the Emperor Sunjong. The Japanese Empire had established the Korean peninsula as a colony of Japan administered by the Governor-General of Chosen based in Keijō (Gyeongseong) which governed Korea with near-absolute power.

Japanese rule prioritized Korea's Japanization, accelerating the industrialization started by the Gwangmu Reform of 1897-1907, building public works, and fighting the Korean independence movement. The public works included developing railroads (Gyeongbu Line, Gyeongui Line, Gyeongwon Line, etc.) and improving major roads and ports that supported economic development - Korea experienced an average GNP growth-rate of 4.2% during the 25 years between 1912 and 1937.

Japanese rule over Korea ended on 15 August 1945 upon the World War II surrender of Japan, and the armed forces of the United States and the Soviet Union occupied this region. The division of Korea separated the Korean Peninsula under two governments and different economic systems, with the northern Soviet Civil Administration and the southern United States Army Military Government in Korea. In 1965 the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and South Korea declared that the unequal treaties between Japan and Korea, especially those of 1905 and 1910, were "already null and void" at the time of their promulgation.

As of 2021^[update] the topic of Japanese rule remains controversial both in North Korea and in South Korea, and the negative repercussions continue to affect these countries. Such negative repercussions include:

• the industrialization plan to solely benefit Japan
• the exploitation of Korean people
• the marginalization of Korean history and culture
• the environmental exploitation of the Korean Peninsula
• the status of Japanese collaborators, subsequently dubbed Chinilpa

Images for kids

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  General power of attorney to Lee Wan-yong sealed and signed, by the last emperor, Sunjong (李坧) on 22 August 1910 (융희4년; 隆熙4年)

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  A soldier of the Anti-Japanese Volunteer Armies

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  Terauchi Masatake, the first Japanese Governor-General of Korea

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  Headquarters of the Oriental Development Company in Keijō

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  Chinese anti-Japanese poster published after reprisals by Koreans

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  Japan-Korea Cooperative Unity, World Leader. – The notion of racial and imperial unity of Korea and Japan gained widespread following among the literate minority of the middle and upper classes.

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  Kuniaki Koiso, Governor-General of Korea from 1942 to 1944, implemented a draft of Koreans for wartime labor.

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  A news article showing that Park Chung-hee had submitted an oath of allegiance to Japan in his own blood with his application form to serve in the Manchukuo Imperial Army, 31 March 1939

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  Crown Prince Lieutenant General Yi Un, Prince Captain Yi Geon and Captain Yi Wu in 1938

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  Lieutenant Park Chung-hee, Manchukuo, 1944

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  Korean volunteers in the Imperial Japanese Army, January 1943

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  A kidnapped girl sold into China by ethnic Korean brokers – 30 June 1933 The Dong-a Ilbo

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  Photo memorialising the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, 1919

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  Provinces of Chosen Korea under Japanese rule

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  Groundbreaking for the Keijō–Fuzan railway

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  Production in Korea under Japanese rule

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  Population of Korea under Japanese rule

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  Keijō Imperial University, Keijō

See also

In Spanish: Ocupación japonesa de Corea para niños