Ito Hirobumi and Colonization of Korea

[soryang]

(Source- KBS 1 History Journal, ep. 199)

Ito Hirobumi is in the center of the picture above. He believed that eventually Korea would fall under complete control of Japan in all affairs and therefore, after the Eulsa Treaty in 1905, a forcible annexation wasn't necessary. By controlling all access to the palace and who could gain an audience with the King, Resident General Ito, separated King Kojong from the independence movement. Under the pretext of protecting the royal family he placed them under his surveillance at all times. On the far left is Katsura Taro, prime minister of Japan who made an agreement with the US in 1905 acknowledging Japan's hegemony over Korea. Second from the far right is Kisi Nobusukae, Abe's maternal grandfather, war criminal during WW II. Kisi was released from confinement and rehabilitated by the US. He became Prime Minister of post WW II Japan. Abe appears on the far right.

Katsura Taro, Japanese prime minister ultimately removed Hirobumi as Resident General of the protectorate of Korea June 14, 1909. He installed as the successor Resident General and later after the 1910 formal annexation of Korea, the first Japanese governor of the Korean colony, second from left, Tarauchi Masatakae. In July 1907, after Ito had forced Korean King Gojong to abdicate, Japan disbanded the Korean army, and took over internal control of Korea, abandoning all pretense of Korean autonomy. The primary thesis of the program is that there is a continuous historical tradition shared by all the characters shown in the picture above which emphasizes the power of a greater Japan based upon industrialized militarism and a view of neighboring Asian countries as inferiors. The tradition was in essence a learned behavior adopted from the western imperial powers such as the Great Britain, Germany, and the US.

Ito had visited London and studied there for several months. He learned about English control over Egypt and later used that British colonial rule as a model for his imperialism in Korea. He even used the pretext of modernizing and civilizing Korea as a pretext and justification for the protectorate. (England controlled Egypt from 1884 to 1954, the so called Cromer model, named after the Evelyn Baring, Earl of Cromer, consul general of Egypt). Ito was removed as Resident General because his policy of gradual assimilation of Korea rather than forced assimilation, failed to effectively prevent or deal with the emergence of an armed resistance by the Korean independent movement. According to the History Journal historians, there is historical evidence that Ito was preparing Korea for forced annexation, and is therefore regarded as having a two faced policy toward Korea. Eventually he agreed with the proposals by Katsura for forced annexation.


(Source- KBS 1 History Journal, ep. 199) Ito kept the Korean crown prince as a hostage and raised him in the Japanese military tradition. Japan's educational reform in Korea involved forcing the Japanese language on grade school students.



(Source- KBS 1 History Journal, ep. 199) Ito was assassinated by Korean patriot Ahn Jung-geun, October 26, 1909 in Harbin, China.

More:

https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2018/12/ito-hirobumi-and-colonization-of-korea.html