Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty

Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty

Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty of 1910
General power of attorney to Lee Wan-yong signed and sealed by the last emperor, Sunjong of the Korean Empire (Lee Cheok, 이척 李坧). The last emperor's first name '坧' used as signature.
Type	Annexation treaty
Context	Annexation of the Korean Empire by the Empire of Japan
Sealed	August 22, 1910
Effective	August 29, 1910
Expiration	August 15, 1945 (1945-08-15), de facto September 2, 1945 (1945-09-02)
Expiry	June 22, 1965 (1965-06-22)
Signatories	Lee Wan-yong (Prime Minister of the Korean Empire) Count Terauchi Masatake (Resident General of Korea; Empire of Japan)
Parties	Japan  Korea
Ratifiers	Japan  Korea

The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910, also known as the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty, was made by representatives of the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire on August 22, 1910. In this treaty, Japan formally annexed Korea following the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905 by which Korea became the protectorate of Japan and Japan–Korea Treaty of 1907 by which Korea was deprived of the administration of internal affairs.

Japanese commentators predicted that Koreans would easily assimilate into the Japanese Empire.

In 1965 the Treaty of Basic Relations between South Korea and Japan confirmed this treaty is "already null and void".

The treaty was proclaimed to the public (and became effective) on August 29, 1910, officially starting the period of Japanese rule in Korea. The treaty had eight articles, the first being: "His Majesty the Emperor of Korea makes the complete and permanent cession to His Majesty the Emperor of Japan of all rights of sovereignty over the whole of Korea".

Gojong of the Korean Empire later called the treaty a "neugyak (늑약 勒約)." The alternative term used in lieu of "joyak (조약 條約)" implies the treaty was coerced to Koreans by Japanese. "Gyeongsul Gukchi (경술국치 庚戌國恥, lit. National humiliation of the year of Gyeongsul)" and "Gukchi-il (국치일 國恥日, lit. National humiliation day)" are alternative terms for the year and date the treaty was signed, respectively.

The United Kingdom had already acquiesced to the annexation of Korea by Japan, via the British connection to Imperial Japan via the Anglo-Japanese Alliance of 1902.

The legality of the Treaty would later be disputed by the exiled Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea as well as the South Korean government. While the treaty was affixed with the national seal of the Korean Empire, Emperor Sunjong of Korea refused to sign the treaty as required under Korean law. The treaty was instead signed by Prime Minister Lee Wan-yong of the Korean Empire, and Resident General Count Terauchi Masatake of the Empire of Japan.