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Korean Modern History Term Paper

Korea What is the situation of Korea at the end of 19th century, in terms of international relations and domestic responses?

Before 1910, Korea was a part of an Asian empire known as the Joseon. In the 1800s, religious persecution laid the way for a rebellion by the people which would alter the course of the history of the country. The idea of a unified religious sect was to further strengthen the nation. Instead people were resentful that the government was trying to influence such a personal aspect of an individual's life. A "peasant" religion known as Donghak was making its way into what would become Korea. The teachings of this religion discontented the lower classes from their stations and there was a rebellion in 1864. This all coincided with the attempts of the western world to gain access to Korea, something the government strictly refused.

In this period the Korean government signed several treaties with western nations, such as France and the United States. In 1866, some French priests had been killed in Korea for trying to instill Christianity. In response, France sent gunboats and the problems looked doomed to escalate. Signing treaties did some good, until Japan decided that it would benefit from having close ties of their own with what would become Korea. Japan would become such a powerful influence in that country that they were able to annex Korea as a Japanese...

Before the annexation, Japan took over unofficial control of Korea, having leaders in position in the country and dominating Korea's homeland and international affairs. Posing as a "protectorate" to a weaker nation, Japan became more or less colonizers of Korea until that country declared independence from tyrannical rule.
2. Describe the policies of Japanese colonial rule and the March First Movement.

Japan held control of Korea until the end of the Second World War when sovereignty of Korea was returned to the native population. During that period, the Japanese forced Korea into accepting western technologies, such as electricity and indoor plumbing. However, there was nothing altruistic about the incorporation of these techniques. By increasing agriculture and communication, Japan was able to ensure that there was increased rice production which could then be supplied to the empire nation. Before this time, Korea had predominantly worked agriculturally within small communities. Commodities were grown to support the small villages surrounding the farms. Product was not grown in enough amounts to lead to export. The needs of the Japanese colonizers thus altered the entire agricultural process of Korea. Korean lands were confiscated by the Japanese government so even farmlands which had been private property for generations…

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During the war years, Japan would enlist Korean soldiers to fight, often through coercion or sometimes by force. As a colony population, the Koreans had far less power within the nation state and thus they were considered less important than their Japanese counterparts. This lack of fairness was battle against through several attempted revolutions. One of the most famous of these was the March 1st Movement. In 1919, in response to the oppressive regime of Japanese rule as well as the seeming incongruity of the League of Nations, a faction in Korea established a movement designed to completely alter the country and allow the common population to have sovereignty.

3. Describe the situation on the Korean peninsula from 1945 to 1950 when the Korean War breaks out.

Following World War II, Korea was finally given sovereignty and a chance to create a government more or less for and by the population. However, tensions were high from the outset. Many people within the country wanted to create a governmental format completely different from what they had experienced under Japanese rule. Influenced by the large country of China, a group within Korea believed that the best form of government for the newly freed country should be Communism. Another group however wanted a form of democracy similar to those they had witnessed from their interactions with western nations like the United States, England, and France. With neither side willing to compromise, it was only a matter of time before a schism would break the nation in two. That is exactly what happened in 1950 when the country of Korea was divided into two: North Korea which was controlled by a Communist government, and South Korea which was more democratic than its northern counterpart. This was not a suitable resolution to the distress of the warring nation and what happened was a bloody police action involving many countries of the world who each had their own individual reasons for helping. Communist countries such as China provided support for North Korea in the form of weapons and other supplies. Much of the free world, such as the United States, England, and France gave equal support to South Korea, hoping that by providing this aid the west would be able to prevent and retard the spread of Communism.
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