Korea under Japanese rule

Korea's absorption into the Japanese Empire was not a sudden event but the culmination of decades of shifting geopolitical power and Japanese imperial ambition. Following its forced opening by the United States in 1854, Japan underwent the Meiji Restoration, rapidly modernizing and seeking to establish itself as a regional power. Korea, known as Joseon, remained largely isolationist, though it was a tributary state of Qing China.

Japan strategically dismantled Chinese influence through the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), leading to Joseon's nominal independence and declaration of the Korean Empire. The Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) cemented Japan's dominance, eliminating its main rival. Japan then imposed the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1905, making Korea a protectorate and installing a Japanese Resident-General.

The abdication of Emperor Gojong in 1907 and the subsequent Japan-Korea Treaty of 1910 formalized the annexation, ushering in 35 years of direct colonial rule administered by a Governor-General based in Keijō (Seoul). This period was characterized by Japan's drive to secure resources and strategic advantage in Northeast Asia.

The Japanese colonial administration implemented a policy of 'Japanization' (Nissen dōsoron), aiming to assimilate Koreans into the Japanese Empire. This involved a systematic suppression of Korean identity and culture. The Korean language was banned in schools and public administration, replaced by Japanese.

Koreans were compelled to adopt Japanese names, severing a fundamental link to their heritage. Historical sites and cultural artifacts suffered greatly; major palaces like Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung were partially or completely demolished, and thousands of precious artifacts were transported to Japan. This cultural assault was intended to foster loyalty to the Japanese Emperor and erase distinct Korean national consciousness.

While some Koreans collaborated with the regime, many resisted through clandestine cultural preservation efforts and the burgeoning independence movement.

Japan undertook significant infrastructure development in Korea, constructing railways, ports, and roads. These projects facilitated the extraction of Korea's natural resources, such as minerals and agricultural products, to fuel Japan's industrial growth and military expansion. While these developments contributed to economic modernization, the benefits were disproportionately skewed towards Japan.

Korean laborers endured harsh working conditions, discriminatory wages, and heavy taxation, with rates sometimes exceeding 50%. The economic policies were designed to integrate Korea into the Japanese imperial economy, often at the expense of Korean self-sufficiency and prosperity. The infrastructure built during this era, though serving colonial interests, would later be crucial for post-war development, though much was destroyed during the Korean War.

The oppressive nature of Japanese rule spurred a resilient Korean independence movement, operating both domestically and internationally through political and militant actions. Koreans faced severe repression, including numerous massacres like the Gando and Kantō Massacres. During World War II, Japan intensified its mobilization of Koreans for its war effort.

Approximately 5.4 million Koreans were conscripted for labor, often under brutal conditions. A particularly egregious aspect was the forced sexual slavery of tens of thousands of women and girls as 'comfort women' for Japanese soldiers. Following Japan's surrender in 1945, Korea was liberated by the Allied powers but was immediately divided along the 38th parallel into Soviet and American occupation zones, setting the stage for the Korean War and the permanent division of the peninsula.

The legacy of Japanese colonial rule remains a deeply contested and sensitive issue in both South Korea and Japan. Historical narratives surrounding collaboration, wartime atrocities, and the nature of Japanese rule continue to fuel diplomatic tensions and shape national identities. The issue of collaborators, individuals who aided the Japanese administration, is particularly fraught, with figures like Park Chung Hee, a former collaborator who later became South Korea's president, embodying this complex history.

Diplomatic relations between South Korea and Japan were only normalized in 1964 with the Treaty on Basic Relations, which declared prior treaties 'null and void.' Despite this, bilateral relations frequently oscillate, often influenced by ongoing disputes over historical interpretation and unresolved grievances stemming from the colonial era.