[Lee Sang-hoon's Korean History] Establish the Goryeo Governor-General Office, Not the Joseon Governor-General Office

‘Manchu Domination’ Ambition of Japan: Wanted to Establish Governor-General’s Office in Pyongyang, Not Seoul
Shiratori and Inaba Recognized Manchu Importance... Needed Liaodong Peninsula to Strengthen Joseon Control

The appearance of the Government-General of Joseon. Provided by the Seoul History Compilation Committee.

On February 8, 1904, Japan launched a surprise attack on the Russian fleet anchored at Lushun (旅順). On the 9th, it sank two Russian warships docked in Incheon, and on the following day, the 10th, declared war on Russia. This marked the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War (1904?1905).

In June, Japan established the Manchurian Army General Headquarters to prepare for a full-scale campaign in Manchuria, and in September, it occupied Liaoyang (遼陽). In January 1905, Lushun fell, and by defeating the Russian forces at the Battle of Fengten (奉天) in March, the land battles were nearly concluded. Russia, seeking to reverse the tide, recalled the Baltic Fleet from Europe. In May 1905, a naval battle took place between the Russian and Japanese fleets in the Tsushima Strait, resulting in a Japanese victory.

Contrary to expectations, the Russo-Japanese War ended in Japan’s victory. In July 1905, the Katsura-Taft Agreement was signed between Japan and the United States, mutually recognizing Japan’s dominance over Korea and the U.S.’s control over the Philippines. Britain, which had originally formed the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, revised the alliance terms in August 1905 to approve Japan’s ‘protectorate’ status over Korea. Through this, Japan completely excluded Qing and Russian influence from the Korean Peninsula and secured a ‘monopolistic’ position.

At that time, Russia was unable to continue the war due to the defeat of the Baltic Fleet and the revolution occurring domestically. As a final operation to secure favorable peace terms, Japan occupied Russian Sakhalin. Eventually, the Treaty of Portsmouth was signed on September 5. Through this treaty, Japan acquired southern Sakhalin and expanded its influence over southern Manchuria. It also solidified its supremacy over the Korean Peninsula, laying the groundwork for occupying Korea.

During this period, a figure who paid close attention to the importance of Manchuria was Shiratori Kurakichi (白鳥庫吉, 1865?1942). He was a first graduate of the History Department at Tokyo Imperial University and later served as a professor at Gakushuin University and Tokyo Imperial University. Starting with research on Korean history, he expanded his studies to Manchurian history, Mongolian history, and Central Asian history. During the Russo-Japanese War, he argued for setting Manchuria as a neutral zone to exclude Western powers.

Shiratori Kurakichi

After the Russo-Japanese War, Shiratori Kurakichi focused on the relationship between Manchuria and Korea. He believed that to firmly secure Korea, it was necessary to control Manchuria, especially the Liaodong Peninsula. As historical evidence, he emphasized Goguryeo. He recalled how the Liaodong Peninsula acted as a ‘barrier’ for Goguryeo, repelling invasions by the Sui and Tang empires. In other words, the Korean Peninsula could only maintain independence by securing the Liaodong Peninsula, and controlling the Liaodong Peninsula required securing the upper reaches of the Liao River (遼河). He argued that for Japan to fully govern the Korean Peninsula, it was essential to establish Japanese forces on the Liaodong Peninsula.

Inaba Iwakichi (稻葉岩吉, 1876?1940) studied in China in the early 1900s and served as a Japanese Army interpreter during the Russo-Japanese War. After the war, he researched Manchurian and Korean history at the South Manchuria Railway Company (abbreviated as Mantetsu) in the Manchurian Historical Geography Survey Department. After the department was abolished, he joined the Korean History Compilation Committee and from 1925 served as a historian for the Government-General of Korea, responsible for describing the Goryeo and Joseon periods.

Inaba Iwakichi viewed the Amnok River (Yalu River) as not being a natural strategic barrier based on historical invasions of the Korean Peninsula by Mongols and Manchus. He argued that defending the Amnok River or Daedong River was a passive form of security and that more proactive measures were necessary to control the Korean Peninsula. Like Shiratori Kurakichi, Inaba focused on Goguryeo, believing that Goguryeo’s control of the Liaodong Peninsula was why the Korean Peninsula could be preserved. He asserted that after the Russo-Japanese War, securing the Liaodong Peninsula by referencing Goguryeo history was of utmost importance for Japan’s domination of Korea.

Inaba Iwakichi also considered Gyeongseong (Seoul) unsuitable as a base for governing the Korean Peninsula. He argued that Pyongyang, which had been the capital of Goguryeo, should be referenced. As Japan’s control over Korea became more visible after the Russo-Japanese War, attention shifted from Gyeongseong, the capital of the Joseon Dynasty, to Pyongyang, the capital of Goguryeo.

South Manchuria Railway Headquarters (Dalian, China)

At that time, the Japanese Manchurian Army staff also argued that Manchuria and Korea should be governed by a unified institution. They proposed abolishing the Kwantung Governor-General and expanding the authority of the Commander of the Korean Garrison Army to establish a ‘single colonial governor.’ Kodama Gentaro (兒玉源太郞, 1852?1906), Chief of Staff of the Manchurian Army, agreed with this view. After Kodama Gentaro’s sudden death in 1906, discussions on this matter proceeded within the Kwantung Governor-General and Mantetsu.

Mantetsu was established in 1906 based on the railways and associated lands ceded by Russia after the Russo-Japanese War. The first president was Goto Shinpei (後藤新平, 1857?1929). Goto Shinpei set up several research departments within Mantetsu, including the Historical Research Department. Shiratori Kurakichi was appointed chief of the Historical Research Department, and Inaba Iwakichi worked as a researcher. The Historical Research Department was established in January 1908 and existed until January 1915.

Inaba Iwakichi’s 1939 publication, Goto Shinpei and the Manchurian Historical Research Department (後藤平伯と滿洲歷史調査部), contains an interesting conversation.

Goto Shinpei, then president of Mantetsu, asked the Historical Research Department, “From a historical perspective, is Gyeongseong suitable for establishing the Governor-General’s office? Also, what name do you think is appropriate for the Governor-General’s office?” Shiratori Kurakichi and others replied, “The Governor-General’s office must be established in Pyongyang. Gyeongseong is not suitable. Also, the name ‘Joseon’ is not appropriate. Rather, it should be called the ‘Goryeo Governor-General’s Office.’”

This was the logic of ‘Manchuria-Korea Unity’ (滿鮮一體), meaning that Manchurian influence directly reflected in Korea and vice versa. Since Gyeongseong (Seoul) was located too far south, it was considered better to place the Governor-General’s office in Pyongyang. Furthermore, the name ‘Joseon’ was seen as having a declining image, so it was inappropriate to inherit the old name when establishing a new Governor-General’s office. They argued, “The name Goryeo, which Koreans have been satisfied with since ancient times and which is known worldwide as Korea, is more appropriate.”

Goto Shinpei

The ‘Goryeo Governor-General’s Office’ referred not to the Goryeo founded by Wang Geon but to Goguryeo, which ruled both the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria. The Manchurian-Korean history (滿鮮史) was a type of colonial historiography that viewed Manchuria and Korea as a single historical unit. The purpose of this historiography was to separate Manchuria from Chinese history and justify the invasion of Manchuria. The Goryeo Governor-General’s Office was a concrete political concept conceived during Japan’s process of taking control over Korea and Manchuria after the Russo-Japanese War. This was led by Mantetsu’s Historical Research Department.

After hearing the views of the Historical Research Department, Goto Shinpei was very pleased and reportedly submitted this proposal to the Japanese Cabinet. However, the ‘Goryeo Governor-General’s Office’ was not adopted because Terauchi Masatake (寺內正毅, 1852?1919), the Governor-General of Korea, had already decided to establish the Government-General of Korea in Gyeongseong. Goto Shinpei later expressed regret that the ‘Goryeo Governor-General’s Office’ was not established.

On September 18, 1931, the Mukden Incident (Yujoho Incident, 柳條湖事件) occurred. Japan blew up a section of the South Manchuria Railway track near Yujoho, north of Shenyang, which it administered, and claimed it was the work of Chinese forces. Using this as a pretext, the Kwantung Army swiftly took control of the Manchurian region. Subsequently, on March 1, 1932, the puppet state of Manchukuo was established.

Although Mantetsu’s Historical Research Department was abolished in 1915, the slogan of ‘Manchuria-Korea Unity’ (滿鮮一體) was emphasized again with the establishment of Manchukuo in 1932. Especially, Minami Jiro (南次郞, 1874?1955), the 7th Governor-General of Korea, actively advocated for Manchuria-Korea unification. In this process, Inaba Iwakichi urged Koreans to actively advance into Manchuria, viewing the active Korean expansion into Manchuria as necessary for the development of the Korean nation.

The concept of unity regarding the Manchurian region expanded to include Japan as well. In addition to ‘Manchuria-Korea Unity,’ the economic bloc of Japan and Manchuria, called ‘Japan-Manchuria Unity’ (日滿一體), was also emphasized. Although the ‘Goryeo Governor-General’s Office’ was never established, the Manchurian historiography that emerged around the Russo-Japanese War bore fruit in the construction of the puppet state of Manchukuo. Subsequently, Japan’s aggressive expansion continued onto the Chinese mainland.

Professor Sang-Hoon Lee, Department of Military History, Korea Military Academy