『大東亜戦争への道』（展転社）

中村　粲

その７　第二章　第四節　日清戦争：日清戦争と朝鮮

　日清戦争のさなか、日本がそれ以前に朝鮮に提案していたもろもろの改革が親日政権により実施されました。「甲午改革」といいます。２０８件の改革議案が決議されましたが、その主なものは次の通りです。

１．清暦を廃し、李氏朝鮮開始年号を用いる。

２．貴賤門閥にかかわらず、人材を登用する。

３．人身売買の禁止。

４．平民にも軍国機務処に意見提出を許し、卓見の持ち主は官吏に採用。

５．司法権限によらぬ逮捕や刑罰の禁止。

６．拷問の禁止。　などなど、前近代性からの脱却を目指すものです。

　ところが、この改革は改革派と国王・閔妃などの保守派との内訌により、頓挫してしまいます。日本はこれに対して「将来の対韓戦略はなるべく干渉をやめ、朝鮮をして自立せしむる」方針を閣議決定します。（１８９５年６月４日）

　振り返ってみればこの時こそ、朝鮮が近代国家として独立を達成する絶好の機会でした。しかし、朝鮮はこの機会をとらえようとはしなかったのです。日本のこのような方針転換を日本の対露恐怖症の表れとしか見ず、親露政策によって日本を制し、自派の勢力を拡大せんとしたのです。

　この新旧抗争をロシアは利用しました。ロシア公使ウェーバーはロシアの強大性を説いて、閔妃一派に接近しました。閔妃を葬れは、在韓日本志士のみならず、反閔妃派の朝鮮政客の叫びでもありました。１０月７日、朝鮮政府が訓練隊の解散を通告すると、閔妃排除を深く決意し日本の三浦悟楼公使の指示を受けた訓練隊と日韓の有志は、大院君を擁して王宮に入らんとし、訓練隊は侍衛隊と衝突して王宮は大混乱に陥り、この乱中に閔妃は殺害されました。

　この「乙未の変」後、金弘集を首班とする親日派の内閣が組織され、改革を再開しました。しかし、断髪令の強行が民心の離反を招き、その機に乗じてロシア公使ウエーバーが公使館防衛の名目でロシア水兵百名を引き入れ、親露派と謀って国王を王宮から奪取して、ロシア公使館に移しました。（２月１１日）この事件を「露館播遷」と言います。

　親日派は虐殺されたり、日本へ亡命したりしました。斯くして、国王はロシア公使館で政務をとるという異常事態となりました。

　日本はロシアとの交渉によって異常事態に対処するすることになりましたが、ロシアの強硬姿勢が韓国の反発を招き、ロシアの軍事・財政顧問は韓国から引き上げることになりました。（３月２３日）

　ロシアは、韓国から撤退すると、南下政策の矛先を満洲に向けました。撤退の４日後の３月２７日には清国から旅順・大連を租借したのでした。

　・その７，第２章４節　日本語原文：http://hassin.org/01/wp-content/uploads/Road7.pdf

 　・　〃　第２章４節　英訳文： https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/Road7E.pdf

 

令和４年１２月１日

「史実を世界に発信する会」会長　茂木弘道

協力者代表：神奈川大学教授　小山和伸

＊拡散大歓迎

 

THE ROAD TO THE GREATER EAST ASIAN WAR

Nakamura Akira, Dokkyo University Professor Emeritus

(English Translation: Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact)

Part 7: Chapter 2: The 1^st Sino-Japanese War-4

 

   Korean domestic reforms proposed by Japan (the Gabo Reforms) were undertaken during the 1^st Sino-Japanese War. The 208 reforms decided upon represented Korea’s first attempt at modernization; they included the following:

 

1.          The Chinese calendar was replaced with a Korean calendar that begins in 1392, the year the Joseon dynasty was established

2.          Hiring was to be done without regard to social class or lineage

3.          Slave trade was banned

4.          Common people could now express their opinions to the Deliberative Council; those with significant talent could be hired as government officials

5.          Arrest and punishment unsupported by judicial authority were prohibited

6.          Torture was prohibited

 

   However, internecine strife in Korea presented a serious obstacle to the reforms. The conflict between the progressives and the conservatives continued to worsen, and ultimately became one between the pro-Japanese and pro-Russian factions.

   On June 4 Japan’s Diet passed a resolution concerning Korea policy. Japan would, in the future, avoid interfering in Korean affairs, and allow Korea to achieve autonomy on its own. This would be the best opportunity for Korea to realize true independence and become a modern nation. However,

this policy change was interpreted by Queen Min as a manifestation of Japan’s fear of Russia. She began to attempt to rein Japan in through pro-Russian policies, and to acquire more strength for her faction.

   Russia took full advantage of the discord between the progressives and conservatives. Russian Ambassador Weber made overtures to Queen Min and her followers, boasting about Russia’s might.

   “Bury the queen!” became the war cry not only of Japanese idealists in Korea, but also of Korean politicians who opposed the queen’s faction. On October 7, 1895 the Korean government announced that the Military Training Division would be disbanded and its weapons confiscated. Early the next morning, the Military Training Division and Japanese and Korean partisans, under orders from Japanese Ambassador Miura Gorō, who had pledged to do away with Queen Min, entered the palace with the Daewongun. During this incident Queen Ming was killed.

   Afterwards Kim Hong-jip formed a new pro-Japanese cabinet, and once again began implementing reforms. But some of them, e.g., the Short Hair Act, alienated the Korean people, and in 1896 uprisings cropped up all over the nation. Russian Ambassador Weber took advantage of that situation by bringing 100 Russian sailors into Korea supposedly to protect the Russian legation. Conspiring with pro-Russian Koreans, Weber kidnapped the king on February 11 and escorted him to the Russian legation. The king’s sojourn there is referred to as Gojong’s internal exile. It meant that Korean policy was drafted at the Russian legation, an extraordinary circumstance.

But high-pressure Russian diplomatic tactics backfired when they incurred the enmity of the Korean people. On March 23, 1898, Russian military and financial advisors departed from Korea. The Russians shifted their focus to a new target – a southward advance to Manchuria. On March 27, only four days after its military and financial advisers left Korea, Russia leased Port Arthur and Dalian from China.

URL:　 https://www.sdh-fact.com/book-article/1989/

PDF:　 https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/Road7E.pdf

 

MOTEKI Hiromichi, Chairman

Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact

Phone: 03-3519-4366

Fax: 03-3519-4367

Email moteki@sdh-fact.com

URL http://www.sdh-fact.com

Note: Japanese names are rendered surname first in accordance with Japanese custom.