The disastrous Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty was signed by Yi Wan-Yong, Prime Minister of Korea, on behalf of the Emperor of Korea, and by the Japanese Resident-General, Terauchi Masatake, on behalf of the Emperor of Japan, with the provision that "on August 29, 1910, the Imperial Government of Japan shall undertake the entire government and administration of Korea"
Japan became a Japanese colony, or rather, even more than that.
Korea had its back against the wall, and had little choice. Japan was already in Korea. The Japanese of the time, and frankly even now, had a racist view toward Koreans which would manifest itself in short order. Koreans got the short end of the stick, men being conscripted into the Japanese military, and women being forced into prostitution.
It remains a black mark on Japanese history.
One week later, Korea's status as an independent nation was changed to the Japanese territory of Cho-Sen, with Terauchi as Governor-General..
In 1986, when deployed to Korean, Korean soldiers would ask me if I'd been to Japan. When I answered yes, I always answered in a guarded fashion. On the streets, Korean street venders sold t-shirts which stated "Atomic Bomb. . .Made in America and tested in Japan", which was thought to be humorous.
Yi Wanyong (Korean: 이완용; Hanja: 李完用) signed the treaty, with his name becoming the Korean equivalent of "Quisling". He died in 1926.
The wound afflicted by Japan will not really be healed until Korea is united under a democratic government.
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