Lee Wan-Yong
Encyclopedia
Lee Wan-Yong was a pro-Japanese
minister of Korea
, who signed the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty
, which placed Korea under Japanese rule
in 1910.
Born to a prominent family in Gyeonggi-do
province, Lee spent three years in the United States
from 1887–1891. Lee was a founding member of the Independence Club established in 1896 and belonged to the ‘reform faction’ which wanted to westernize Korea and to open the country to foreign trade. Lee was a prominent government minister at the time of Eulsa Treaty
of 1905, and was the most outspoken supporter of the pact which made the Korean Empire
a protectorate
of the Empire of Japan
, thus stripping it of its diplomatic sovereignty. The treaty was signed in defiance of Korean Emperor Gojong, and he is thus accounted to be the chief of five ministers (including Park Jae-soon, Lee Ji-yong, Lee Geun-taek, Gwon Joong-hyun) who were later denounced as Five Eulsa Traitors
in Korea.
Under Japanese Resident-General
Ito Hirobumi
, Lee was promoted to the post of prime minister from 1906-1910. Lee was instrumental in forcing Emperor Gojong to abdicate in 1907, after Emperor Gojong tried to publicly denounce the Eulsa Treaty at the second international Hague Peace Convention.
In 1910, Lee signed the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty
by which Japan took full control over Korea with full authority by Korean Emperor Sunjong. For his cooperation with the Japanese, Lee was rewarded with a peerage in the Japanese kazoku
system, becoming a hakushaku (Count
), in 1910, which was raised to the title of kōshaku (Marquis
) in 1921. He died in 1926.
After the independence of Korea at the end of World War II
, the grave of Lee was dug up and his remains suffered the posthumous dismemberment, which is often considered to be the most disgraceful punishment in Confucian ideology. Lee Wan-Yong's name has almost become synonymous to that of ‘traitor’ in modern Korea.
However, Seo Jae-pil's Dongnip Sinmun (Independence Newspaper) never wrote a single line of criticism against him.
He mistakenly thought that the annexation would make a Korea-Japan dual monarchy
, similar to Austria-Hungary or Sweden-Norway.
The Special law to redeem pro-Japanese collaborators' property
was enacted in 2005 and the committee confiscated the property of the descendants of nine people that had collaborated with Japan when Korea was annexed by Japan in August 1910. Lee is one of those heading the list.
Chinilpa
Chinilpa is a Korean word that denotes Koreans who collaborated with the Japanese government during its reign over Korea , or shortly before...
minister of Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, who signed the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty
Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty
The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910, also known as the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty, was made by representatives of the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire in 1910. Negotiations were concluded on August 20, 1910...
, which placed Korea under Japanese rule
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
in 1910.
Born to a prominent family in Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is located in the heart of the province, but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946...
province, Lee spent three years in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1887–1891. Lee was a founding member of the Independence Club established in 1896 and belonged to the ‘reform faction’ which wanted to westernize Korea and to open the country to foreign trade. Lee was a prominent government minister at the time of Eulsa Treaty
Eulsa Treaty
The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905, also known as the Eulsa Treaty or Japan–Korea Protectorate Treaty, was made between the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire in 1905. Negotiations were concluded on November 17, 1905....
of 1905, and was the most outspoken supporter of the pact which made the Korean Empire
Korean Empire
The Greater Korean Empire was an empire of Korea that succeeded the Joseon Dynasty.In October 1897, Emperor Gojong proclaimed the new entity at Gyeongungung Palace and oversaw the partially successful modernization of the military, economy, land system, education system, and various industries...
a protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
of the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
, thus stripping it of its diplomatic sovereignty. The treaty was signed in defiance of Korean Emperor Gojong, and he is thus accounted to be the chief of five ministers (including Park Jae-soon, Lee Ji-yong, Lee Geun-taek, Gwon Joong-hyun) who were later denounced as Five Eulsa Traitors
Five Eulsa Traitors
The Five Eulsa Traitors refers to those officials serving under Emperor Gojong who signed the Eulsa Treaty of 1905 against Gojong's wishes, stripping the Korean Empire of its sovereignty and making Korea a protectorate of Japan...
in Korea.
Under Japanese Resident-General
Resident-General of Korea
When Korea was a protectorate of Japan, Japan was represented by the Resident-General.- List of Japanese Residents-General :#Itō Hirobumi#Sone Arasuke#Terauchi Masatake...
Ito Hirobumi
Ito Hirobumi
Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...
, Lee was promoted to the post of prime minister from 1906-1910. Lee was instrumental in forcing Emperor Gojong to abdicate in 1907, after Emperor Gojong tried to publicly denounce the Eulsa Treaty at the second international Hague Peace Convention.
In 1910, Lee signed the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty
Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty
The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910, also known as the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty, was made by representatives of the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire in 1910. Negotiations were concluded on August 20, 1910...
by which Japan took full control over Korea with full authority by Korean Emperor Sunjong. For his cooperation with the Japanese, Lee was rewarded with a peerage in the Japanese kazoku
Kazoku
The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan that existed between 1869 and 1947.-Origins:Following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the ancient court nobility of Kyoto regained some of its lost status...
system, becoming a hakushaku (Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
), in 1910, which was raised to the title of kōshaku (Marquis
Marquis
Marquis is a French and Scottish title of nobility. The English equivalent is Marquess, while in German, it is Markgraf.It may also refer to:Persons:...
) in 1921. He died in 1926.
After the independence of Korea at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the grave of Lee was dug up and his remains suffered the posthumous dismemberment, which is often considered to be the most disgraceful punishment in Confucian ideology. Lee Wan-Yong's name has almost become synonymous to that of ‘traitor’ in modern Korea.
However, Seo Jae-pil's Dongnip Sinmun (Independence Newspaper) never wrote a single line of criticism against him.
He mistakenly thought that the annexation would make a Korea-Japan dual monarchy
Dual monarchy
Dual monarchy occurs when two separate kingdoms are ruled by the same monarch, follow the same foreign policy, exist in a customs union with each other and have a combined military but are otherwise self-governing...
, similar to Austria-Hungary or Sweden-Norway.
The Special law to redeem pro-Japanese collaborators' property
Special law to redeem pro-Japanese collaborators' property
The special law to redeem pro-Japanese collaborators' property is a special South Korean law that passed the South Korean National Assembly on December 8, 2005 and was enacted on December 29, 2005...
was enacted in 2005 and the committee confiscated the property of the descendants of nine people that had collaborated with Japan when Korea was annexed by Japan in August 1910. Lee is one of those heading the list.