동북아역사재단 2023년 06월호 뉴스레터
- Jeon Sang-suk, Research Professor, East Asia Research Institute, Kwangwoon University
The publication of “History of Japanese Invasion” by the Northeast Asian History Foundation issues a compilation of systematical research on the Japanese invasions of the Korean peninsula and Japanese imperialism in detail. The compilation written by academic experts is composed of data, research, and reading materials, and divided into four categories: politics, economy, society, and culture. Through the History of Japanese Invasion Series, we introduce our readers a book among the compilation.
History based on existential values
In What is History?, Edward Hallett Carr(1892-1082) said that history is “an unending dialogue between the present and the past.” The reason this quote is famous until today is because it emphasizes that history is a discernment to have an insight on issues people currently face and rejects positivism that views history as a faithful representation of the past. Carr also said in the same book that “There is nothing more meaningfully indicative of the character of a society than whether a society writes or fails to write about a certain historical facts.” These writings about history of this historian inspire us to look back on the three East Asian countries, Korea, China, and Japan, particularly focusing on the historical issues and perception of history between Korea and Japan.
In the Korean society, Japan’s immoral and arbitrary interpretation of history that developed into economic retaliation is often contrasted with Germany’s repeated remorse for their war crimes and consolation to the victims. However, we shall not forget that the remorse and consolation from Germany are due to the exhaustive punishment by the victorious countries after the war and the persistent demand for apologies and punishment from Jews, the victims, and Israel. Unlike the Nuremberg trials, the Tokyo trials only punished seven war criminals and was only a formal process where the ruling class including the Japanese emperor, retained their reign. This continued on to the issue of “the worshipping at Yasukuni Shrine.”
The Korean Peninsula, the foundation to become a powerful nation by overcoming the limits of an island country
The Meiji era of Japan caused the Ganghwa Island incident to oppose the entry of Western powers into the Korean Peninsula. And the so-called “line of advantage” for Japan, the “line of sovereignty”, to Joseon was determined as a national policy. Determining the theory of line of advantage as a national policy was the beginning of seeking the development of the modern Japanese Empire through foreign affairs for national interest and national power. Thus, Japan saw Joseon as a land that needs to be secured to protect the national interest and defend against the national crisis of the Japanese Empire which was expected to be caused by the eastern advancement of the Western powers. As Japan encountered Western imperialism, they decided on the invasion of the Korean Peninsula, which they have repeatedly done in the past, as subjugation policies under the pretext of “defense.” The first outcome of the theory of line of advantage that became a national policy was the “Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty.”
However, the line of advantage expanded to Manchuria and China which led to Japanese imperialism spreading aggressively. The “annexation” of Korea by the island nation of Japan was not for imperial colonization to gain economic benefits. It was to expand their territory to become a nation within a continent to overcome their geographical constraints. The Korean Peninsula was the stepping stone or the groundwork to advance north to assure national development and become part of Japan’s power. Especially, “Japan-Korea Annexation” at the time gave full authority to the governor-general of Joseon to rule Joseon with the powers and prerogatives of the Japanese Emperor and as demonstrated by the first governor-general of Joseon, Masatake Terauchi, the invasion of Joseon was used to create a foundation for a successful return to the politics in Japan with glory by contributing to solidify the “Japanese Empire” as a country within a continent.
Invasion policies against Joseon by the military governor-general who led the establishment of the total war system for Japan
Every governor-general of Joseon was a military officer. Terauchi, who carried out the “Japan-Korea Annexation” and established the unauthorized political system of the Governor-General Korea in the 1910s, was a Choshu warlord and founded the national system of Meiji Japan. Makoto Saito was a navy minister and developed the details of the unauthorized military system under the pretext of “cultural imperialism” in the 1920s. Kazushige Ugaki was a representative Showa warlord that replaced the Choshu warlords and implemented the Policy for the Uniform Advancement of Agriculture and Industry in the 1930s. The succeeding governor-general were all military officers affiliated with Ugaki. They executed the invasion policies of Joseon as an example of forming an innovative, self-sufficient total war system and “national unity system” that spread behind “Taisho Democracy” by sharing an interest in the total war system that spread globally after World War I.
Ugaki particularly was regarded as the original and demonstrator of Japan’s all-out war idea. He believed that Japan must become the “empire of the continent” that can rival Britain and the United States by constructing the national unity system and establishing the self-sufficient economy of the total war system. The industrialization of Joseon for uniform advancement of agriculture by Ugaki based on the idea of a total power system led to the war industrialization of Jiro Minami’s military bases and the enactment of the special army volunteer system and the conscription of Joseon people in 1944. Kuniaki Koiso systematized Joseon for decisive battles and spurred total mobilization which became a basis for when Nobuyuki Abe took every last of Joseon's resources until Japan’s surrender.
Ugaki’s modernization of his total war system idea through the industrialization of Joseon by suppressing Joseon people’s national anti-Japanese movement continued with governor-generals Minami, Goiso, and Abe, known to be Ugaki’s warlords, which became a basis for Joseon to serve as the last source of various supplies in Japan’s all-out war. The total mobilization that contributed to Japan’s total war system by the governor-general of Joseon led to propaganda for harmony between Korea and Japan, integration of Korea and Japan, “nationalization” of Koreans that led to Japanization. It was accompanied by strengthening the national annihilation policy that subjected Koreans to believe in Japanese nationalism.
The Japanese Empire and its philosophy on the Korean Peninsula for their defense
“National defense” and “economy” could not be separated from the invasion of Joseon by Japanese imperialism. As expressed by the term “annexation” which carries the meaning of permanent subjugation of the Korean Peninsula, “national defense” and “Japanization ideology” were inseparable. Japan’s total war system idea was an extension of the “theory of line of advantage” based on the Japanese millitary’s view of national defense. Governor-generals of Joseon did have different ideas for the total war system but they all regarded Joseon as a bridge. They believed that Japan should become a country within a continent at least by securing the Korean Peninsula as its territory. As a result, the military governor-generals of Joseon took advantage of Joseon to make it the final place for material mobilization in the war for the “survival” of the Japanese Empire and turned every Joseon people into targets of exploitation who were mobilized for Japan.
The overall examination of invasion policies by the governor-generals of Joseon clearly shows changes in the quantitative economic indicators during the colonial period and why there were changes, what and who the outcomes were essentially for, and the subject of benefits and purpose of economic growth. The policy goals of the colonizer shows a striking contrast with the life and living conditions of the general Joseon people in the colony who were mobilized and exploited to meet the colonial policy goals.
There is a saying, “One who has tied a knot must untie it.” This means you must be the one to solve any consequences of your actions. There must be accurate awareness of the history and reality of being the victim to avoid tying the victims into similar events and violating their dignity. And Korea should persistently demand an apology and prevent such events from recurring. A sincere apology and reconciliation do not require ignorance or distorted awareness of history. What is required is only an acceptance of the truth. This is why it is necessary to be aware of the truth of Japan’s “annexation” and its invasion policies.
