SHIMONOSEKI, Japan, 17 April 1895. It is with the greatest pleasure and joy that your reporter can telegraph to you, my fellow Koreans the text of Article 1 of the formal treaty entered into here today between representatives of the Emperors of China and Japan. "China recognizes definitively the full and complete independence of and autonomy of Korea, and, inconsequence, the payment of tribute and the performance of ceremonies and formalities by Korea to China, in derogation of such independence and autonomy shall wholly cease in the future." (1) This is just a few weeks after the signing of the convention of Armistice.

So ends a thousand years of Chinese dominance. (2) We should take pride, as a nation, that our national spirit and pride has endured for all this time. We should also take a moment to thank our brothers, who sacrificed themselves over this tumultuous year tomake this happen.

First, a year ago, we had to endure the martyrdom of Kim Ok-kyun, assassinated in Shanghai while reaching out in friendship to the Chinese. Who can forget the Chinese horrific quartering and display of his corpse upon its return to his homeland? (3)

Then, our brothers the Tonghak, with love of our nation and way of life their only concern, marched to Seoul in protest. (4) Even foreigners such as the American Lucius Foote understood the passion,"We are in the midst of great excitement and, I maysay, danger. It seems that the entire movement is an attempted revolution" (5) In retaliation and for what will hopefully be the final time in our nation's history, Chinese troops invaded our country and slaughtered our brothers. (6)

This final act of China was also an act of treachery to our friends in Japan. Ten years earlier in 1885, Japan and China had solemnly agreed not to send troops into our nation. (7) We thank our friends in Japan for their quick and decisive military victory. The modern Japanese army amazed the world as it annihilated its massively larger foe. (8)It has taken just one year to end a thousand years of Chinese dominance. May our independence last forever.

Editorial Commentary

Fantastic news from our reporter in Japan. A year ago who would have believed that that today a thousand years of Chinese dominance would be finally over? Let us all celebrate this with our families and loved ones.

After the celebration, what next? The tumultuous changes in our nation happened in just one year but their underlying causes have been there for thirty years. What use is independence if we do not control our future? In all the celebration we should remember that today China is not the only country interested in dominating us. The United States attacked us twice in 1866 and 1871. European powers pressure us into trade treaties. (9) The Russians have become influential with our royal family. (10) And the Japanese? We are deeply grateful for their military commitment to the Sino-Japanese War fought in our country. But what was their motivation? An independent Korea or a Japanese Empire in Asia? We note that in yesterday's historic treaty the independence of our nation is a small part of a treaty which vastly increases Japanese power in Asia. Japan annexes Taiwan and gets trading rights throughout China and Korea. (11) Let us celebrate and hope that our independence w\ill be respected by all the nations of the world.

sources

(1) Treaty of Shimonoseki, http://www.Taiwan documents.org/shimonoseki01.htm, 1 1/29/01

(2) Berger, Carl, The Korea Knot, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1957, 21

(3) Sino-Japanese War 1894-1895 http://www.on war.com/aced/data/sierra/sinojapanese1894.htm 1/29/01

(4) Berger, 20

(5) Ibid, 20

(6) Ibid, 21

(7) Sino-Japanese War 1894-1895, 1

(8) Berger, 21

(9) Steinberg, David J., The Republic of Korea, West View Press, 1989, 35

(10) Berger, 23

(11) Treaty of Shimonoseki, 3

images

(1) Treaty of Shimonoseki, http://www.Taiwan documents.org/shimonoseki01.htm, 1/29/01

(2) Senso-e: Images of War http://www.carolynstaleyprints.com/exhibits/senso/ 1/31/01

Back to F Block