Japan–Korea Agreement of August 1904

Japan–Korea Agreement of August 1904
Hangul	제1차 한일협약
Hanja	第一次韓日協約
Revised Romanization	Je-il-cha Han-il Hyeop-yak
McCune–Reischauer	Che-il-ch'a Han-il Hyŏp-yak

The Japan–Korea Protocol of August 1904 was made between representatives of the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire in 1904.^[1] Negotiations were concluded on August 22, 1904.^[2]

Treaty provisions

This treaty required Korea to engage financial and diplomatic advisers designated by Japan. Also, the treaty required Korea to consult with Japan before making treaties with foreign powers, and before granting concessions or making contracts with foreigners.^[2]

The treaty presumes that the Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs ad interim of His Majesty the Emperor of Korea were respectively authorized and empowered to negotiate and to agree upon the specific language of the proposed bilateral treaty:^[3]

Article I.

The Korean Government shall engage as financial adviser to the Korean Government a Japanese subject recommended by the Japanese Government, and all matters concerning finance shall be dealt with after his counsel has been taken.^[3]

Article II.

The Korean Government shall engage as a diplomatic adviser to the Department of Foreign Affairs a foreigner recommended by the Japanese Government, and all important matters concerning foreign relations shall be dealt with after his counsel has been taken.^[3]

Article III.

The Korean Government shall consult the Japanese Government previous to concluding Treaties or Conventions with foreign Powers, and in dealing with other important diplomatic affairs such as granting of concessions to or contracts with foreigners.^[3]

— Hayashi Gonsuke, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary (dated: the 22nd day of the 8th month of the 37th year of Meiji)^[3]

— Yun Chi-ho, Acting Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (dated: the 22nd day of the 8th month of the 8th year of Gwangmu)^[3]

An amplified explanation of the scope and purpose of Article III was mentioned in a 1904 letter from the Japanese Ambassador to the United States Takahira Kogorō to the American Secretary of State John Hay:

"Article III is not intended to place an impediment in the way of the legitimate enterprise of foreigners in the sphere of commerce and industry, but is calculated to serve as a precaution against the conclusion of improvident and dangerous engagements which have often in the past proved a source of serious complications, as was conspicuously shown in the case of the Russian lease of Yongampho."^[4]

Recision

This "alleged treaty" was contrived in a coercive process;^[2] and Koreans sought to invalidate the unwanted consequences by presenting evidence to the international community. For example,

1905: Emperor Gojong of the Korean Empire wrote personally to the heads of state in those countries having treaties with Korea; and the Korean government filed formal appeals and sent formal cable notices,^[5] but these diplomatic gestures were unavailing.
1907: In what is sometimes called the "Hague Secret Emissary Affair," Korean emissaries sought unsuccessfully to seek international assistance at the Hague Convention of 1907 at The Hague, Netherlands in 1907.^[6]
1921: Korean representatives attempted to gain a hearing at the Washington Naval Conference of 1921;^[7] but the effort was ineffective.

This treaty was confirmed to be "already null and void" by Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea concluded in 1965. ^[8] In 2010, Japan argued that the chronological point of reference for "already null and void" was August 15, 1948, when the government of the Republic of Korea was established. This point of view is disputed by the Korean analysis, which construes the 1965 treaty as acknowledgment of the nullification of all Japanese-Korean treaties and agreements from 1904 onwards.^[9]

References

^ Scott, Korea, Treaties and Agreements, p. vii.
^ ^a ^b ^c Korean Mission to the Conference on the Limitation of Armament, Washington, D.C., 1921–1922. (1922). Korea's Appeal, p. 35., p. 35, at Google Books; excerpt, "Alleged Treaty, dated August 22, 1904."
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Scott, p. 37., p. 37, at Google Books
^ Scott, pp. 37-38., p. 37, at Google Books
^ Korean Mission p. 44., p. 44, at Google Books; excerpt, "The foregoing are in addition to the appeal of the Emperor of Korea, filed in the State Department on November 25, 1905, and his cable notice of the illegality of the claimed protectorate, filed in the State Department on November 26, 1905."
^ Eckert, Carter J. et al. (1990). Korea Old and New: A History, p. 245.
^ Korean Mission pp. 3-44., p. 3, at Google Books
^ "Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea". "It is confirmed that all treaties or agreements concluded between the Empire of Japan and the Empire of Korea on or before August 22, 1910 are already null and void."
^ Lee Man-yeol. "For a view of history that puts us at the center," Archived 2011-10-05 at the Wayback Machine Northeast Asian History Foundation News. 2010.

General

Eckert, Carter J., Ki-baik Lee, Young Ick Lew, Michael Robinson, and Edward W. Wagner. (1990). Korea Old and New: A History. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780962771309; OCLC 23071907
Korean Mission to the Conference on the Limitation of Armament, Washington, D.C., 1921–1922. (1922). Korea's Appeal to the Conference on Limitation of Armament. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. OCLC 12923609
United States. Dept. of State. (1919). Catalogue of treaties: 1814–1918. Washington: Government Printing Office. OCLC 3830508
Scott, James Brown. (1921). Korea, Treaties and Agreements. Washington, D.C.: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. OCLC 459192091

[1] Scott, Korea, Treaties and Agreements, p. vii.

[mission35-2] Korean Mission to the Conference on the Limitation of Armament, Washington, D.C., 1921–1922. (1922). Korea's Appeal, p. 35., p. 35, at Google Books; excerpt, "Alleged Treaty, dated August 22, 1904."

[scott37-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Scott, p. 37., p. 37, at Google Books

[4] Scott, pp. 37-38., p. 37, at Google Books

[5] Korean Mission p. 44., p. 44, at Google Books; excerpt, "The foregoing are in addition to the appeal of the Emperor of Korea, filed in the State Department on November 25, 1905, and his cable notice of the illegality of the claimed protectorate, filed in the State Department on November 26, 1905."

[6] Eckert, Carter J. et al. (1990). Korea Old and New: A History, p. 245.

[7] Korean Mission pp. 3-44., p. 3, at Google Books

[8] "Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea". "It is confirmed that all treaties or agreements concluded between the Empire of Japan and the Empire of Korea on or before August 22, 1910 are already null and void."

[9] Lee Man-yeol. "For a view of history that puts us at the center," Archived 2011-10-05 at the Wayback Machine Northeast Asian History Foundation News. 2010.

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v t e Treaties of Japan
Bakumatsu period (1854–1868)	Japan-US Treaty of Peace and Amity (1854) Anglo-Japanese Friendship Treaty (1854) Treaty of Shimoda (1855) Dutch-Japan Treaty of Peace and Amity (1854) [ja] Japan-US Additional Treaty (1855) Japan-Netherlands Additional Treaty (1856) [ja] Japan-Russia Additional Treaty (1858) Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States–Japan) (1859) Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Russia and Japan (1859) Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce (1858) Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the Netherlands and Japan (1858) Treaty of Amity and Commerce between France and Japan (1858) Treaty of Peace, Amity and Commerce between Portugal and Japan (1860) Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Prussia and Japan (1861) London Protocol (1862) Agreement of Paris (1864) [ja] Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Belgium and Japan (1866) Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Italy and Japan (1866) Russo-Japanese Provisional Treaty of Karafuto Island (1867)
Meiji era (1868–1912)	Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between Spain and Japan (1868) Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Austria-Hungary and Japan (1869) Sino-Japanese Friendship and Trade Treaty (1871) Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Hawaii and Japan (1871) Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between Peru and Japan (1873) Engagement between Japan and China respecting Formosa of 1874 Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1875) Japan–Korea Treaty of 1876 US-Japanese Convention Revising Certain Portions of Existing Commercial Treaties (1878) Japan–Korea Treaty of 1882 Japan-Hawaii Labor Immigration Treaty (1884) Japan–Korea Treaty of 1885 Convention of Tientsin (1885) Declaration of Amity and Commerce between Thailand and Japan (1887) Treaty of Friendship and Commerce between Mexico and Japan (1888) Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Commerce and Navigation (1894) Treaty of Commerce and Navigation between Japan and the USA (1894) Italo–Japanese Treaty of Commerce and Navigation (1894) Treaty of Shimonoseki (1895) Japan-Brazil Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation (1895) [ja] Treaty for returning Fengtian Peninsula (1895) [ja] German–Japanese Treaty of Commerce and Navigation (1896) Komura-Weber Memorandum (1896) Yamagata–Lobanov Agreement (1896) Japan–China Treaty of Commerce and Navigation (1896) [ja] Franco–Japanese Treaty of Commerce and Navigation (1896) Japan–Netherlands Treaty of Commerce and Navigation (1896) Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between Chile and Japan (1897) Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between Argentina and Japan (1898) Nishi–Rosen Agreement (1898) Japan-Thailand Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Treaty (1898) Japan-Greece Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation (1899) Boxer Protocol (1901) Anglo-Japanese Alliance (1902) Japan-China Additional Treaty of Commerce and Navigation (1903) [ja] Japan–Korea Treaty of 1904 Japan–Korea Agreement of August 1904 Treaty of Portsmouth (1905) Taft–Katsura agreement (1905) Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905 Additional Agreement of the Japan-China Treaty relating to Manchuria (1905) [ja] Gentlemen's Agreement of 1907 Franco-Japanese Treaty of 1907 Japan–Korea Treaty of 1907 Japan–Russia Secret Agreements (1907–1916) Root–Takahira Agreement (1908) Japan-China Agreement relating to Manchuria and Jiandao (1909) [ja] Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910 Treaty of Commerce and Navigation between Japan and the USA (1911) Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Commerce and Navigation (1911) North Pacific Fur Seal Convention of 1911
World War I–II (1913–1945)	Japan-China Treaty of 1915 Lansing–Ishii Agreement (1917) Sino-Japanese Joint Defence Agreement (1918) Treaty of Versailles (1919) Covenant of the League of Nations (1919) Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919) Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine (1919) Svalbard Treaty (1920) Gongota Agreement of 1920 Treaty of Sèvres (1920) Treaty of Trianon (1921) Four-Power Treaty (1921) Nine-Power Treaty (1922) Treaty concerning solution of Shandong issues (1922) [ja] Washington Naval Treaty (1922) Treaty of Lausanne (1923) Klaipėda Convention (1924) Soviet–Japanese Basic Convention (1925) German–Japanese Treaty of Commerce and Navigation (1927) Kellogg–Briand Pact (1928) Japan-China Customs Agreement (1930) London Naval Treaty (1930) Shanghai Ceasefire Agreement (1932) Japan-Manchukuo Protocol (1932) Tanggu Truce (1933) India-Japan Agreement of 1934 Japan-Manchukuo-Soviet Protocol for Cession of North Manchuria Railway (1935) [ja] He–Umezu Agreement (1935) Chin-Doihara Agreement (1935) Canada-Japan New Trade Agreement (1935) Japan-Netherlands Shipping Agreement (1936) Anti-Comintern Pact (1936) Hart-Ishizawa Agreement (1937) India-Japan Agreement of 1937 Van Mook-Kotani Agreement (1938) Arita-Craigie Agreement (1939) Tripartite Pact (1940) Japan-China Basic Relations Treaty (1940) Japan-Manchukuo-China Joint Declaration (1940) [ja] Treaty between Thailand and Japan (1940) Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact (1941) Japan-Thailand Offensive and Defensive Alliance Treaty (1941) [ja] Japanese Instrument of Surrender (1945)
During the Cold War (1945–1989)	Security Treaty between the United States and Japan (1951) Treaty of San Francisco (1951) Treaty of Taipei (1952) Treaty of Peace between Japan and India (1952) Treaty of Peace between Japan and Burma (1954) Japan–Philippines Reparations Agreement (1956) Soviet–Japanese Joint Declaration of 1956 Treaty of Peace between Japan and Indonesia (1958) Japan–South Vietnam Reparations Agreement (1959) Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan (1960) U.S.–Japan Status of Forces Agreement Tokyo Convention (1963) Treaty on Basic Relations Between Japan and the Republic of Korea (1965) Ogasawara Reversion Agreement (1968) Okinawa Reversion Agreement (1971) Japan–China Joint Communiqué (1972) Japan-North Vietnam Joint Communiqué (1973) Japan–China Trade Agreement (1974) Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation (1976) Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and China (1978)
Post-Cold War (1989–)	US-Japanese Fishery Agreement (1991) South Korean-Japanese Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Environmental Protection (1993) Kyoto Protocol (1997) Japan-Korea GSOMIA (2016) Australian-Japanese Security Treaty (2022) American–Japanese–Korean trilateral pact (2023)

Treaty provisions

Recision

See also

References