WHY KOREANS HATE JAPAN

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 267, 18 December 1909, Page 3

WHY KOREANS HATE JAPAN

The trouble between Japan and -Korea, of which the latest outward sign -is the assassination of Prince lito, goes back a good deal further than most people suspect. When the reign of the great Elizabeth was drawing to a close, -Japan was ruled by Hideyoshi, a genUeaaon with imperial ambitions worthy of a. Napoleon. 1 He thought that Japan was too small jor him, so he decided to take Korea •under his wing. That the Koreans were tjuite content without his paternal guidance made no difference whatsoever. ■Japanese troops poured into Korea, and | for several years there was continuous i -fighting in which China took the side of i-liorea.

The cities of Korea were sacked and ■the country laid waste, and it was not [■until the death of Hideyoshi that the ('Japanese returned home, heavy with ; plunder.

; £vcr since that time Korea lias regarded Japan with much the same fcel•jng that Finland has towards Russia, >or Alsace-Lorraine towards Germany. It was partly the attempt of Korea to enter into independent diplomatic reflations with the European Powers' that ■brought about the war between China iand Japan, for when the question was -being argued out China maintained that ahe had a better right to look after ■Korea than Japan had. Even the end of that war did not bring peace to ■Korea. Japan tried to introduce reforms, but a mutiny broke out in which ■the Queen was murdered. This led to •the withdrawal of Japanese troops,' and f-they had no sooner gone than there was another insurrection, and the King fled for protection to .the Russian Embassy. This gave a great impetus to Russian influence in Korea, and began the diplomatic struggle that ended in the RussoJapanese War. • Soon after the Japanese bad driven ißussia from Korea, the Korean monarch despatched a secret deputation to the Hague Peace Conference to protest against the manner in which Japan was laying down the law. This was more than Japan could stand, and they promptly deposed the protesting ruler and set up his son as Kniperor of Korea.' As the new monarch was suid to be half-witted, he appeared to be an eminently suitable person from the Japanese point of view. Prince Ito was appointed ResidentGeneral, and, in spite of the fact that (h» did his best to soften tlie blow n Japanese protectorate gave to Korean pride, he had to bear the brunt of the hatred against Japan. His life was attempted several times before the last, and unfortunately fatal, attack