The Japanese occupation of Korea was a time of oppression and theft, but there is some debate about whether Japanese institutions and facilities contributed to the country’s development. This article focuses on the impact of Japanese colonization on Korea’s development and the scars it left behind.
From the 19th to the 20th century, various European powers, the United States, and Japan expanded their imperialism by colonizing other countries. These powers pursued their own interests through colonization, and during this time, Korea’s predecessor, Joseon, was also invaded and colonized by the Japanese empire. Japan forcibly occupied and colonized the Korean peninsula for 35 years, from 1910 to 1945. During this time, Japan committed inhumane acts and theft against the Korean people, causing great suffering to the Korean people while simultaneously reaping enormous benefits.
However, in his book Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari argued that the new knowledge accumulated by empires benefited the subjugated peoples and brought them the benefits of progress. Applied to the Korean context, this argument could be interpreted as saying that the Japanese colonial period paradoxically contributed to the development of Korea, despite the oppression and theft it brought to the country. However, this is a sensitive issue that is difficult to accept from the point of view of the subjugated countries. I agree with the idea that it helped Korea’s development, and that’s what this article will focus on.
First, before I support my argument, I’d like to take a look at the background of the Japanese colonial period and the oppression and dispossession of the Korean people that occurred during that time. After undergoing rapid modernization in the mid-19th century, Japan took the lead in diplomacy with Joseon, signing the Treaty of Kanghwado, and later becoming deeply involved in politics through the Gapo Reforms. After winning the race against other nations that landed in Korea, Japan signed the Treaty of Eulsa in 1905, establishing the Tongambu, which institutionally governed the country. In 1910, Japan completed its colonization of Korea by forcing through the Treaty of Japan-Korea Annexation. After colonization, Japan profited enormously from the resources produced in Korea by monopolizing mining and seizing land rights, and sending them back to Japan. In addition, Japan burned Korean cultural assets and temples or shipped them back to Japan, and used forced labor and comfort women to deeply scar the Korean people. It can be seen that Japanese colonial rule caused tremendous damage to the Korean people at the time. However, despite these damages, I would like to argue that Japanese forced occupation contributed to the development of Korea.
The first reason why I believe that the Japanese occupation helped Korea’s development is the facilities and systems that Japan created to take over Korea. These facilities and systems contributed to Korea gaining a foundation for growth after independence. For example, the land survey project that Japan implemented to seize and take over land on the Korean peninsula established a tax collection system and a monetary economy. It is argued that the capitalist market economy system was established through this. In addition, the Forest Protection Decree began the systematic management and nurturing of forests, which reduced natural disasters. The production of grain was greatly increased through the Sansmi Multiplication Plan, and industrial development was paved the way. Railroads and electricity facilities, which were installed for the convenience of Japanese people, were also introduced during this period. It is fair to say that the installation of these systems was a strategic decision based on the long-term plans of the Japanese Empire at the time. However, after the defeat of the Japanese Empire and the independence of Korea, these economic and technological foundations contributed to the development of Korea.
The second reason why I believe Japanese colonization had a positive impact on Korea’s development is that it provided a strong motivation for the Korean people. Japan’s colonization of Korea left the country with a tremendous amount of shame, which motivated the Korean people to work towards national development with a uniquely Korean sense of unity, along with a desire to outwit Japan. For example, the horrific Japanese colonization of Korea caused Koreans to focus on building the strength of the country to never return to such a period again. They also started copying Japanese technology in order to get ahead of Japan in early industries, which led to many instances of technological advancement and surpassing Japan. This motivation has had a huge impact on South Korea’s growth. Based on this, I believe that South Korea has been able to achieve such a high position in economic size and defense power despite its relatively small population.
Finally, the rationale for thinking that the Japanese colonial period was beneficial to South Korea is that, given the country’s history at the time, it would have been difficult to develop at the rate it did without Japan’s forced modernization. If we look at the situation in Korea prior to the Treaty of Kanghwado, which was the beginning of the Japanese invasion, we can see that the country was refusing to engage with foreign countries due to the Heungseon Dae-won’s policy of reform. After defeating the French invasion in 1866, they erected Chukhwa monuments throughout the country and further strengthened the reform policy, rejecting foreign culture and focusing on old culture. If it weren’t for Japan’s forced modernization, it is expected that Korea would have taken a long time to embrace foreign culture. As a result, it is possible to speculate that Korea would not exist today.
In this article, I have argued that the Japanese colonial period was beneficial to Korea’s development on three grounds: the institutions provided by Japan laid the foundation for growth, the strong motivation of the Korean people, and the closed political nature of Joseon at the time. However, it is important to clarify: did Japanese colonization actually help and positively affect the Korean people? In my opinion, Japanese colonization has never had a positive impact on the Han people, and if I could go back in time, I would prefer that it never happen again, because it has left deep scars on many Han people, both physically and mentally. It’s the same logic that, for example, even if a president has achieved economic growth, if he used absolute power to dehumanize his people, he would not be well-received for criticizing such behavior. In the end, Japan’s defeat in the Pacific War led to the liberation of Korea, and if Korea had not succeeded in gaining its independence, the Japanese colonial period would have been indefensible.
In other words, the point of this article is not to argue that the Japanese colonial period was a good time that positively impacted our nation, but rather to argue that there were aspects of the colonial period that contributed to economic development, even if it hurt the Korean people.
