일본의 한국침략정책과 伊藤博文

Japanese Colonial Policy in Korea and Ito Hirobumi During the Resident-General Period

The perceptions on Ito Hirobumi contrast in Korea and Japan; compared to the image of the imperialist and aggressor who led the colonial occupation and usurped Korea s diplomatic rights in Korea, Japan evaluates him as the foremost contributor of the construction of modern country who initiated writing the Constitution. The differences arise from the fact that scholars had focused on parts of Ito s words and actions. Instead, Ito s Korean policy needs to be understood considering his political position and thoughts as a whole. This paper discusses how Ito pursued policy making process by confronting and cooperating with other leaders, concentrating on the period between the Russo-Japanese War and the annexation of Korea. After appointed to be a Resident-General, Ito began the occupation process with the protective rule idea. However, facing the oppositions from Japan and abroad, he switched to assume the domestic policies under the substantial annexation plan. This change was made through the cooperation and arbitration with other executives. When Ito faced with the fierce resistance of Koreans, he adopted the immediate annexation line. Ito responded to the changing atmospheres, accepted opinions from various political groups, and tried to implement the policies harmoniously. Far from asserting himself, Ito revised his plan considering practicality. This practical attitude stood out in his occupation policy in Korea. Ito came to Korea as a Resident-General to command the colonial occupation in full demand. It is likely that he considered the possibility of annexation from the beginning; however, he took Korean domestic situation and international politics into account, and decided that the protective rule was suitable. And later Ito thought that the annexation was feasible after the colonial system was established in Korea and Japan received the recognition from the western powers. In these regards, different from other political forces, Ito preferred a progressive occupation plan and took a more cautious position in changing policies.