Oriental Development Company
| Industry | International trade |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1908 |
| Founder | Empire of Japan |
| Defunct | 1945 |
| Headquarters | Kyeongseong and Tokyo, Empire of Japan |
The Oriental Development Company (Shinjitai: 東洋拓殖株式会社, Hangul: 동양척식주식회사, Hanja: 東洋拓殖株式會社), established by the Empire of Japan in 1908, was a national enterprise built as a colonial exploitation policy towards the Korean Empire and other countries in East Asia. The company was headquartered first in Seoul, then in Tokyo.
In 1905, the Empire of Japan made a treaty with the Korean Empire called the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905. As a result, the Korean Empire became a protectorate of the Empire of Japan. This treaty deprived Korea of its national sovereignty.
The treaty also allowed the Empire of Japan to build the Japanese Government-General Building in Seoul and appoint a resident-general.
The treaty of 1905 led to the foundation of the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1907. In March 1908, the National Diet of Japan passed the bill establishing the Oriental Development Company that the government of Korea was forced to sign. It was initially managed by both the Korean Empire and the Empire of Japan. When the headquarters were moved to Tokyo in 1917, it became wholly owned by the Empire of Japan.
In 1927 Na Seok-ju, a Korean independence movement activist, bombed the building in Seoul, which resulted in the death of some of the managers. Despite this incident, the company started to create more branches in countries abroad, such as Taiwan, Manchuria, Sakhalin, and South Pacific Mandate. In 1938 there were nine branches with over 800 employees.
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