Japanese General-Government building, Seoul

The post of Governor-General of Korea (Korean: 조선총독부, hanja: 朝鮮總督府, MR: Chosŏn Ch'ongdokpu, RR: Joseon Chongdokbu, Japanese: 朝鮮総督府, rōmaji: Chōsen Sōtokufu) served as the chief administrator of the Japanese government in Korea while it was held as the Japanese colony of Chōsen from 1910 to 1945. The seat of the Japanese colonial government was the Japanese General Government Building, completed in 1926. ^[1]

[edit] History

After the annexation of Korea to the Empire of Japan on 1910-08-22, the office of Resident-General was replaced by that of Governor-General. However, the position was unique in among Japan's external possessons, as the Governor-General had sweeping plenipotentiary powers. In addition to administrative tasks, the Governor-General had command of the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy units stationed in Korea, and the position also entailed judicial oversight and some legislative powers. Given the powers and levels of responsibility, only ranking full generals in the Japanese Army were selected for the post.

According to Korean legal thought, de jure sovereignty was not transferred to the Emperor of Japan with the forced end of the Joseon dynasty, such that the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea became the de jure government of the Korean people from 1919 to 1948, and the foreign governors merely exercised de facto rule for the period.

After the Japanese defeat in World War II, Korea came under US and Soviet control. After 1948, power passed to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea.

[edit] Prime Ministers of Japan

Four individuals who held the position of the Governor-General of Korea also held the office of the Prime Minister of Japan. Three, Terauchi Masatake, Saitō Makoto, and Koiso Kuniaki, were Governors-General before becoming Prime Ministers. One, Abe Nobuyuki, was Prime Minister before his appointment as Governor-General. Ugaki Kazushige was named Prime Minister-designate, but he could not take office because he was unable to form a cabinet.

In addition, Resident-General Itō Hirobumi served four terms as Prime Minister prior to his appointment to Korea.

[edit] Residents-General

Flag of the Japanese Resident General of Korea (Tōkanki)

From 1905 to 1910 Korea was a protectorate of Japan and Japan was represented by a Resident-General.

1. Prince Ito Hirobumi (1905–1909)
2. Baron Sone Arasuke(1909)
3. Count Terauchi Masatake (1909–1910)

[edit] Governors-General

After the annexation of Korea to Japan in 1910, the office of Resident General was replaced by that of Governor-General.

1. Field-Marshal Count Terauchi Masatake 寺内 正毅 (1910–1916)
2. Field-Marshal Count Yoshimichi Hasegawa 長谷川好道 (1916–1919)
3. Admiral Viscount Makoto Saito 斎藤 実 (1919–1927)
4. General Kazushige Ugaki 宇垣 一成 (1927)
5. General Hanzo Yamanashi 山梨半造, (1927–1929)
6. Viscount Saito 斎藤 実 (second time 1929–1931)
7. General Kazushige Ugaki 宇垣 一成 (second time 1931–1936)
8. General Jiro Minami 南次郎 (1936–1942)
9. General (ret'd) Kuniaki Koiso 斎藤 実 (1942–1944)
10. General (ret'd) Nobuyuki Abe 阿部信行 (1944–1945)

[edit] See also

• Governor-General of Taiwan
• Rulers of Korea
• List of Korea-related topics
• Anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea
• Japanese militarism
• Japanese nationalism

[edit] References

• Kim, Djun (2005). The History of Korea. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0313332967. 

[edit] External links

• Rulers

[edit] Notes