The Korea Review, Vol. 5 No. 5, May 1905

by Various

THE
KOREA REVIEW.
MAY, 1905.

Korea and Japan.

The attitude of the Korean people toward Japan has undergone many changes during that past quarter of a century. The thing that we must always reckon with is the ancient feeling of enmity aroused, in the first place, by the devastating raids of Japanese freebooters during the tenth, eleventh and twelfth centuries. At that time the Koreans suffered so severely that the very name of Japanese became the synonym of all that was dreadful and to be hated. This was further intensified by the great invasion of 1592 when the Koreans suffered untold things at the hands of the temporary conquerors. The result of these things are clearly seen in Korean character today. It would be very hard to find a Korean child who does not drink in, almost with his mother’s milk, a feeling of dislike against the Japanese. On the other hand the Japanese seem to have imbibed as strong a feeling toward the Korean. This feeling is one of contempt, born of the less warlike character of the Korean and his strong conservatism.

These sentiments we firmly believe to be the real underlying ones and if so the only genuine rapprochement between the two people must be along the line of mutual self-interest. If it pays sufficiently to forget the old feud then forgotten it will be, but it is plain that the interest must be a mutual one.

From the days of the Great Invasion up to the year 1868 the difficulties between Korea and Japan were quiescent, though by no means dead. After the Manchu invasion of Korea the Japanese even offered Korea help in throwing off the Manchu yoke. As we look at conditions today we can almost say that it was a pity Korea did not accept the offer.

The late Regent, during the first decade of the present reign, conceived a fanatical hatred against all outsiders and, through a few unfortunate victories over them, conceived the idea of hermetically sealing the country against foreign intercourse. He adopted the one course which was sure to effect the opening of the country, namely by banning the Japanese commercial settlement at Fusan. This was just at the time of Japan’s great awakening and it is probable that she sincerely hoped and believed that Korea was capable of taking the same forward step which she herself was taking. When, therefore, Korea not only took no forward step even but attempted to retire more deeply into her political solitude she aroused a good deal of feeling in Japan, a feeling that was so intense that it resulted in a sanguinary civil war called the Satsuma Rebellion. The leaders of the people in the Southern island of Kiusiu, which lies nearest to Korea, earnestly desired that Japan should force upon Korea at the point of the sword what time has at last effected. If the leaders of that rebellion could have looked forward to the year 1905 they would have left their swords in their scabbards.

In opposition to these advocates of force the new government in Tokyo took the wholly reasonable and laudable ground that Korea should be treated as a coördinate and independent power and that she should be approached from the diplomatic rather than the military side. The rebellion which resulted caused a long delay in the carrying out of any plans that Japan may have formed relative to the opening up of Korea. At the same time the approaching majority of the King of Korea, and the consequent retirement of the Regent, was sure to cause important changes in the attitude of the peninsular government. This became all the more evident as the queen and her powerful faction developed a feeling of strong hostility to the person and the policy of the Regent.

Taking advantage of this rift in the Korean lute the Japanese sent a semi-official agent in the person of Hanabusa who found means to secure frequent access to the Queen and her party and who doubtless used every argument to widen the breach between the Queen and the Regent. When everything was ready the Japanese warship Unyo Kan appeared off the Korean coast near Chemulpo and got herself fired upon by a Korean fort. This was the last, the dying act of the Regent, but it formed an opening wedge for the negotiations which were immediately instituted and which resulted in the signing of the treaty between Korea and Japan at Kangwha in 1876. The Regent had already retired from public life in disgust, although his friends were constantly plotting to bring him back to Seoul and reinstate him in power.

The years 1876-1880 form one of the most important periods in the modern history of Korea, even though they were very quiet years. The king had entered upon his career and his course was to be determined upon. The court was in a plastic state ready to be moulded into any form which a strong mind might suggest. Chinese suzerainty had slept so long and was so nominal in character that no protest was forthcoming even when Korea and Japan signed a treaty as between wholly independent powers. The ruling faction had come into power through the help of the Japanese. The latter recognized to the fullest extent the independence of Korea. There was every reason in the world why Japan should use her powerful influence to direct the stream of Korean politics into safe and progressive channels. She had an unparalleled opportunity. Everything was in her favor. England never began to have such a favorable outlook in India as Japan had in Korea beginning with the year 1876.