Timeline
What Happened Before and After The Assasstination of The Japanese Prime Minister
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese war was from 1904 to 1905, which was a conflict between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan. At that time, Czar Nicholas, the autocratic of the Russian Empire, was setting his sights on the Korean peninsula. In this act of Russia, Japan offered the deal since they were concerned about the influence of Russia threatening their nation; however, Russia refused the deal. The Russo-Japanese war began with the attack from Japan as the negotiation of the two countries broke down, and the conflict ended with the victory of Japan in 1905. As Japan defeated Russia from the Russo-Japanese War, they, within two months, took over the Korean peninsula and launched their colonial rule on them (Mullen 2018).
8 February 1904 -
5 September 1905
The Eulsa Treaty of 1905
There were five treaties until Japan officially declared the annexation of Korea:
- [February 23, 1904]: Japan--Korea Protocol
- [August 22, 1904]: 1st Japan– Korea Agreement
- [November 17, 1905]: 2nd Japan–Korea Agreement, or the Eulsa Treaty
- [July 24, 1907]: Japan–Korea Treaty of 1907
- [Aug. 29, 1910]: Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty
The Joseon Dynasty was a dynasty of Korea before annexation. Back then, Japan had the ambition to colonize Korea, so they attacked the Korean peninsula several times. Officially, Korea's colonial period started from 1910 to 1945; however, Korea lost its independence before 1910, when Japan forced an unequal protectorate treaty onto it(Japan attempted to take control over Korea since 1904). Since the Russian Empire relinquished its military forces and imperialist practice, Japan started to take control of Korea in earnest in 1905--the Korean government had forced the protectorate regme by the prime minister Hirobumi Ito in mid-November (조 1996). Despite the Korean government opposing the penetration of Japan, Hirobumi Ito used military forces to nullify them and their position. Under the Japanese pressure, Japan found five high-level Korean dignitaries to sign the treaty on November 17th, 1905, which is known as the Eulsa Treaty (McKenzie 2020).
The Eulsa Treaty made by Japan infringes on
the rights of Korea. It states that Japan should
handle all the international contacts with Korea;
Korea should not make any treaties with other
foreign countries. Moreover, Japan declares
that Japan should not only supervise the
political activity of Korea but also make all the
political decisions (Lankov 2009).
(1905 - 1907)
At that time, when the prime minister Hirobumi Ito forced the Korean government to sign the Eulsa Treaty of 1905, King Gojong tried to protest the unequal and unfairness of the Eulsa treaty of 1905 by sending the personal letters to the world's powerful countries (Lee 2009). However, the great powers withdrew his letter, which shows his weak status under the Japanese force (later, this leads to king Gojong's abdication). King Gojong never signed the Eulsa Treaty, but his top officials did. The five officials Yi Wan-yong(Education Minister), Yi Geun-taek(Army Minister), Yi Ji-yong(interior Minister), Park Je-sun(Foreign Affairs Minister), and Gwon Jung-hyeon(Agriculture, Commerce, and Industry Minister) are considered the traitors of the nation to Koreans until now ("Five Eulsa Traitors" 2020).
1905
the document of the Eulsa Treaty of 1905
Woo Deok-sun at that time
Woo Deok-sun is one of the Korean Independence activists who participated in the independence movement in his life. When the Eulsa Treaty of 1905 happened forcibly imposed by Japan, he decided to leave the country since he thought the country after the Eulsa Treaty has limits on the movements (Park 2009).
He went to Vladivostok, Primorsky, Russia, and established a school with financial support from his comrades since he considered youth education as the most important thing for the independence movement; he also joined a righteous army in 1907--which is the group that resists to Japanese force ("단운 우덕순" 2017).
1905
Abdication of King Gojong
1907
As mentioned, King Gojong sent personal letters to foreign countries–but his letter got disregarded. After in 1907, he secretly sent an agent to an international peace conference in the Hague, the Netherlands. He planned to inform other countries that the unequal treaty had been signed without the consent of the king and the public, and under coercion by Japanese power. However, unfortunately, the mission failed due to Hirobumi Ito finding out about this; after getting caught by Ito, King Gojong forced to abdicate the throne under the Japanese force ("Gojong of Korea" 2020). A few days later, after the abdication of the king, Japan imposed a new agreement that all high officials should be Japanese, which made the Japanese completely control Korea(Japan–Korea Treaty of 1907) (Lee 2009).
Interaction with Ahn Jung-Geun
1907 - 1909
Back in 1907, when Japan--Korea Treaty was signed, Ahn Jung-geun went to Vladivostok and organized the Dongui-hoi group with 12 members; they aimed to assassinate Ito Hirobumi and Yin Wan-yong, who mainly disrupted the Korean sovereignty (Kim 2019).
Meanwhile, Woo Deok-sun and Ahn Jung-geun launched with 300 soldiers at the fierce battle with the Japanese army in Gyeongheung and Hoeryong, North Hamyaong Province. Unfortunately, Woo Deok-sun get arrested by a Japanese soldier and sentenced to seven years in prison; however, he escapes from the Japanese prison for his passion for the country (Kim 2019).
In October 1909, Woo Deok-sun met Ahn in Vladivostok; Ahn brought the news that Hirobumi Ito, the national culprit of their nation, is going to arrive on 26 October and starts planning the assassination together. Yu Dong-ha and Jo Do-seon also accompanied in the middle; they vowed to avenge the country by succeeding the plan (Park 2009).
Ahn Jung-geun
Assassination of Ito Hirobumi
Initially, Ahn and Woo planned the assassination after
hearing the news of Ito Hirobumi having a meeting with
Russian representative Vladimir Kokovtsov; later Jo Do-sun
and Yoo Dong-ha joined to help translate. There were other
contributors to this plan, but these four people went to the
planned site (Park 2009).
The original plan was to attempt at four sites, Namjangchun,
Gwanseongja, and Charguga, the origin of the Dancheong
Railway, but then it eventually changed to two places, Harbin and Chaegagu. Woo Deok-sun, Yoo Dong-ha, and Jo Do-sun decided to attack at Chaegagu, while An Jung-geun stayed at Harbin station(in the first instance if the plan fails) (노 2014).
However, the security at the Chaegagu station heavily guarded due to the prime minister of Japan visiting. The Russian guards, who were suspicious of Woo Deok-sun, Yoo Dong-ha, and Jo Do-sun, restrained their act until the train carrying Hirobumi Ito left (the train only stayed for two minutes on this station) (Keene 2002).
Meanwhile, after 25 minutes of conversation between Ito and Kokovtsov, Hirobumi Ito got off the train, walking through the Russian army (Minichiello 1998). The Harbin station was planned to be controlled strictly for Ito's safety. But the Russian security was asked to lessen the security for Japanese to welcome. Under the Russiam army, Ahn Jung-geun, who was waiting for Ito, fired a bullet towards Ito--right after he saw him; he also shot three people, Daiziro Mori, Toshihiko Kawakami, Seitaro Tanaka, in case he wasn't Ito. After the fire, Ahn shouted a slogan for Korean Independence three times in Russian, not trying to escape (Keene 2002).
26 October 1909
Ito Hirobumi
What happened after the assassination?
Japan officially declaring the annexation of Korea
Even though Koreans resist Japanese forces taking over their nation, Japan still strengthened authority over Korea using its military forces (Lee 2009).
On August 29, 1910, Japan officially declared the annexation of Korea, following from the treaty they created. After Japan forcibly colonized Korea, they introduced the full-scale colonial rules on them (Hook 2001).
During the colonial period, Japan restricted education and the act of Koreans. They got forced to use Japanese instead of Korean. In 1931, Japan imposed another colonial rule over Korea to destroy them as a nation. They had to change their name to Japanese and were forced to worship at Japanese Shinto shrines. Japan banned Koreans from reading Korean newspapers and magazines ("The Annexation of Korea" 2010).
Additional information(example) about how the Japanese mistreated Koreans, using their forces:
Comfort women(military comfort women) are women who got forced to engage in sexual acts against the Japanese military. During Korea's colonial period, with the start of the Pacific war, the Japanese deceived young Korean girls and women by providing them with jobs and kidnapped them for the Japanese military's sexual desire. At that time, the women got beaten and assaulted sexually every day, feeling like getting tortured. Many women died due to malnutrition, sexually transmitted diseases, and infections, and forced abortions after pregnancy. Near the end of the colonial period of Korea(1945), the Japanese military executed many of these women. The women who escaped from them suffered physically and mentally. Even though they came back to their country, they were rejected by their families and society due to prejudice and rumors surrounding them (Lynch 2019).
1910 - 1935
Brief Timeline
1905:
The Eulsa Treaty
1907-1909:
Interaction between Woo Deok-sun and Ahn Jung-geun
1910:
The treaty of 1910
(official declaration on Japan annexing Korea )
1904:
Russo-Japanese War
1907:
The Japan-Korea Treaty
1909:
Assassination of
Ito Hirobumi
1910-1935:
Period of
Japanese Korea