Eulsa Treaty
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The Eulsa Treaty or Japan-Korea Protectorate Treaty was made between the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire on 17 November 1905, influenced by the result of the Russo-Japanese War. The treaty in effect made Korea a protectorate of Japan
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[edit] History
Following Japan’s victory in the Russo-Japanese War, with its subsequent withdrawal of Russian influence, and the Taft-Katsura Agreement, by which the United States agreed not to interfere with Japan in matters concerning Korea, the Japanese government sought to formalize its sphere of influence over the Korean peninsula.
Delegates of both Empires met in Seoul to resolve differences in matters pertaining to Korea’s future foreign policy; however, with the Korean Imperial palace under occupation by Japanese troops, and the Imperial Japanese Army stationed at strategic locations throughout Korea, the Korean side was at a distinct disadvantage in the discussions. On 17 November 1905, the Korean cabinet signed an agreement that had been prepared by Ito Hirobumi. Per the Agreement, Japan assumed complete responsibility for Korea’s foreign affairs, and all trade through Korean ports was to be placed under Japanese supervision.
The treaty was enacted after it received the signature of five Korean ministers; (who have been reviled by later Korean historians as the Five Eulsa Traitors):
- Minister of Education Lee Wan-Yong (이완용;李完用)
- Minister of Army Lee Geun Taek (이근택;李根澤)
- Minister of Interior Lee Ji-Yong (이지용;李址鎔)
- Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Je-Sun (박제순;朴齊純)
- Minister of Agriculture, Commerce and Industry Kwon Jung-Hyun (권중현;權重顯)
Some officials, including most notably the Emperor Gojong of Korea, did not sign the treaty, which had led Korean historians to dispute the de jure legality of the treaty. Nevertheless, it took effect immediately.
- Emperor Gojong of Korea
- Prime Minister Han Gyu Seol (한규설;韓圭卨)
- Minister of Justice Lee Ha-Young (이하영;李夏榮)
- Minister of Finance Min Young Ki (민영기;閔泳綺)
Afterwards, in 1907, Korean Emperor Gojong sent three secret emissaries to the second international Hague Peace Convention to protest the unfairness of the Eulsa Treaty. But the great powers of the world refused to allow Korea to take part in this conference (Hague Secret Emissary Affair).
This protest, the lack of the Imperial assent, and the intimidation by Japanese troops during the negotiations have been used by later historians and lawyers to question the legal validity of the treaty, as being signed under duress, though the treaty remained uncontested internationally until Japan's defeat in World War II.
This treaty laid the foundation for the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty of 1907 in and subsequent annexation of Korea in 1910.
The Eulsa Treaty and the subsequent unequal treaties between Korea and Japan were mutually declared "already null and void" explicitly by the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea of 1965.
In a joint statement on 23 June 2005, officials of South Korea and North Korea reiterated their stance that the Eulsa treaty be null and void on a claim of coercion by the Japanese.
[edit] Name
In the Korean calendar, eulsa is the Sexagenary Cycle's 42nd year in which the treaty was signed.
In Japanese, the treaty is known under several names including Second Japan-Korean Convention (第二次日韓協約 Dai-niji Nitcho Kyōyaku?), 乙巳保護条約 (Isshi Hogo Jōyaku?) and 韓国保護条約 (Chosen Hogo Jōyaku?).
[edit] Sources
- Beasley, W.G. (1991). Japanese Imperialism 1894-1945. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0198221681.
- Duus, Peter (1998). The Abacus and the Sword: The Japanese Penetration of Korea, 1895-1910. University of California Press. ISBN 0520213610.
