Governor-General of Chōsen
Template:Short description Template:Refimprove Template:Infobox official post
The Governor-General of Chōsen (Template:Langx; Template:Langx) was the chief administrator of the Government-General of Chōsen, a part of an administrative organ established by the Imperial government of Japan. The position existed from 1910 to 1945.
The governor-general of Chōsen was established shortly after the Korean Empire was formally annexed by the Empire of Japan in the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910 to replace the title of Resident-General. The governor-general of Chōsen was appointed from Tokyo and accountable to the emperor of Japan. The governor-general of Chōsen was responsible for the administrate ministry of the Chōsen regionin, including infrastructure, culture, justice, censorship, and the suppression of the Korean independence movement.<ref>Governor-General of Korea. 統計年報[Statistics Annual Report]</ref><ref>黄文雄 Kō Bun'yū 歪められた朝鮮総督府 [Distorted facts about Governor-General of Korea](in Japanese).光文社 Kobunsya</ref>
The governor-general of Chōsen was seated in the General Government Building in Keijō after its completion in 1926.<ref>The building was demolished during the administration of South Korean president Kim Young-sam on August 15, 1995.</ref> Pending its completion, the governor-general resided at Namsan.<ref>잡지 일본지 조선(日本誌 朝鮮) 1911 Magazine Japanese Chosun (Illustration)</ref>
History
After the annexation of Korea to Japan in 1910, the office of resident-general was replaced by that of governor-general. However, the position was unique in among Japan's external possessions, as the governor-general had sweeping plenipotentiary powers, and the position also entailed judicial oversight and some legislative powers. As of 1944, the governor-general did not command the Imperial Japanese Army or Imperial Japanese Navy units stationed in Chōsen.<ref name="Modern_Korea">Template:Cite book</ref> Given the powers and levels of responsibility, only ranking full generals in the Imperial Japanese Army were selected for the post, with the sole exception of Viscount Saitō, a retired admiral.
The governor-general of Chōsen had a police organisation, which may have been partly involved in having Korean women working as comfort women.<ref>西岡力 Tsutomu Nishioka 政府は名誉回復の戦いを止めてはならぬ [The Japanese government must not stop demanding the restoration of honour] in Seiron March 2016 (in Japanese).産経新聞社 [Sankei Shimbun Sya]. p. 83</ref>Template:Better source needed
After the Japanese defeat in World War II, the Korean Peninsula was administered by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea. The governor-general building was demolished during administration of South Korean president Kim Young-sam on August 15, 1995.
Prime Ministers of Japan
Four individuals who held the position of the governor-general of Chōsen 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.
Governors-general
After the annexation of Korea to Japan in 1910, the office of resident general was replaced by that of governor-general.
- General Count Terauchi Masatake 寺内 正毅 (1910–1916)
- Gensui Count Hasegawa Yoshimichi 長谷川好道 (1916–1919)
- Admiral Viscount Saitō Makoto 斎藤 実 (1919–1927)
- General Kazushige Ugaki 宇垣 一成 (1927)
- General Yamanashi Hanzō 山梨半造 (1927–1929)
- Viscount Saitō Makoto 斎藤 実 (second time 1929–1931)
- General Kazushige Ugaki 宇垣 一成 (second time 1931–1936)
- General Minami Jirō 南次郎 (1936–1942)
- General (ret'd) Koiso Kuniaki 小磯 國昭 (1942–1944)
- General (ret'd) Abe Nobuyuki 阿部信行 (1944–1945)
See also
- Governor-General of Taiwan
- Rulers of Korea
- Anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea
- Japanese militarism
- Japanese nationalism
References
External links
Template:Korea under Japanese rule Template:Gaichi Template:Authority control