The Korean Empire, officially the Empire of Korea or Imperial Korea, was a Korean monarchical state established in 1897 by King Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. It lasted until Japan's annexation in 1910. Emperor Gojong led the Gwangmu Reform, a partial modernization of Korea's military, economy, land system, education system, and industries. In 1905, the Korean Empire became a protectorate of Japan, and after 1910, it was abolished. In 1962, it's former territories are controlled by the Empire of Japan.
Historical Background[]
Formation[]
In the 17th century, Korea faced resistance against its tributary relationship with China due to the Ming dynasty's replacement by the Qing dynasty and Western influence. The Gaehwa Party often claimed independence from China, but China's interference increased after the Imo Incident and Gapsin Coup. After the Japanese victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, Joseon won independence from the Qing dynasty, and many politicians saw claiming an empire as a way to maintain independence. After Gojong of Korea returned from exile in the Russian legation, officials requested him to proclaim an empire to strengthen the country and build a firm framework as an independent state. Gojong established Gyo Junso to manage the reformed constitution, but the Gyo Junso was dissolved in 1899 without any successes.
In October 1897, Gojong was crowned in Hwangudan, named the new empire Daehan, and made the constitution of the country in 1898, giving the entire authority to the emperor. Leading nations initially did not accept the proclamation of the empire, claiming it was not worth more than a single ruble or coin. However, once Korea became an empire, foreign monarchs implicitly acknowledged Korea as such, demonstrating the importance of recognizing Korea as an empire.
Eulsa Treaty[]
The Korean Empire's progress was hindered by the Eulsa Treaty in 1905, which led to the American and Japanese colonization of the Philippines and Korea. Japan isolated Korea through numerous treaties, with Emperor Gojong opposing the treaty. The negotiations were led by eight Korean ministers, including Prime Minister Han Kyu-seol, Minister of the Army Yi Geun-taek, Minister of the Interior Yi Ji-yong, Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Je-sun, Minister of Agriculture, Commerce, and Industry Gwon Jung-hyeon, Minister of Finance Min Yeong-gi, and Minister of Justice Yi Ha-yeong. All ministers agreed with the treaty, establishing a Japanese protectorate over Korea. The Waebu ministry of foreign affairs was dissolved, and all foreign affairs were handled by Tokyo. Itō Hirobumi, who led the treaty negotiations, became the first Japanese Resident-General of Korea on February 1, 1906.
Korean resistance[]
In response to the Eulsa Treaty, Korean President Gojong sent secret embassies to seek support, with Russia as the primary target. Koreans believed that Russia would aid Korean independence, as evidenced by Yi Hak-gyun's letters to Korea Pavlov, which promised Japan's withdrawal and Russia's assurance of Korean independence. Some Koreans committed suicide, including Yi Han-eung and Min Young-hwan. Others joined righteous armies and attempted to assassinate the Five Eulsa Traitors. Gojong, often leading the resistance, sent messages to European monarchs and sent Homer Hulbert to the United States to repudiate the treaty. In 1906, Nicholas II secretly invited Gojong to the Hague Convention, but emissaries were not recognized. Ye Wanyong's houses were burned, and the Japanese Korean Army intervened to suppress public discontent. These acts against the treaty led to Gojong's abdication, and he was succeeded by Sunjong on 19 July 1907.
Japanese protectorate and annexation[]
After Sunjong became emperor, the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1907 was signed, increasing Japanese involvement in the Korean government and intervention in Korean affairs. General Hasegawa garrisoned the palace, disarmed some Imperial Korean Army regiments, and disarmed the elite unit of the Imperial Korean Army, Pyeongyang Jinwidae. This led to the dissolution of many Imperial Korean Army regiments, fueling righteous armies and local peasant militias to fight against Japan. From 1909, the Japanese suppressed all righteous armies, leading many to flee to Manchuria or China to join the Independence Army. Japanese advisors were incorporated into the Korean central government, leading to job losses for many Korean officials. Under Terauchi Masatake, Japan prepared to annex Korea, and the annexation was announced on 29 August 1910.
Dark Age for Korea[]
The Japanese Government banned Korean names and language, looting of cultural artifacts, and destroyed many historic buildings. The country also built infrastructure such as railroads, ports, and roads, but faced poor working conditions and discriminatory pay. The infrastructure projects were criticized for extracting resources from the peninsula, leaving many rural poor without the benefits. This led to the Korean independence movement, which acted both politically and militantly within and outside the Japanese Empire. Additionally, Koreans were subjected to mass murders, such as the Gando Massacre, Kantō Massacre, Jeamni massacre, and Shinano River incident. While the international consensus is that these incidents occurred, Japanese scholars and politicians, including Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, deny, justify, or downplay them.
World War Two[]
During World War II, Japan mobilized around 5.4 million Koreans to support its war effort, forcing many to work in poor conditions. Some Japanese politicians and scholars, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, deny that Koreans were forced laborers and claim they were "requisitioned against their will." Women and girls aged 12-17 were recruited into functional sexual slavery, now known as "comfort women." However, modern Japanese scholars and politicians, including Nippon Kaigi, deny that they were forced to work and claim that even pubescent girls consented to sex work and were compensated reasonably.
Aftermath of World War Two[]
After the Japanese and it's East-Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere won World War Two, The Japanese began a period of restoration to it's "Colonies" including Korea. The Japanese continued it's efforts to fully subjugate the Korean People. The Korean Language would almost cease to exist as part of Japan's japanization efforts. Many infrastructure's would've contained Japanese Symbols as well as it's culture and influence. The Schools taught the young about Japanese as part of the Japanese Indoctrination plan.
In-game[]
At the start of the game in 1962, Korea would've already been subjugated under the Japanese Culture making the future for the Korean People difficult and for the independence of a future Korean State nearly impossible. The Local Population would be brutally suppressed if any dared oppose the Rising Sun. The Korean People would be treated as Second-Class Citizens to the Japanese. Everything about the past would've been wiped out by the Japanese Government and would be replaced with Propaganda.