The limits of the industrial revolution and modernization on the Korean Peninsula - At the time of the annexation, the Korean Peninsula lacked everything.

2021-07-10 Category:Annexation of Japan and Korea

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[Table of contents]

What the wheels and needles mean
Isabella Bird traveled to Korea
What is needed for the industrial revolution
Modernization brought about by Japan

What the wheels and needles mean

In 1805, the Korean Confucian scholar Jeong Dong-yu listed sheep, wheels, and needles as things that did not exist on the Korean peninsula. The wheel refers to the technology that transforms and processes wood, and the needle refers to the precision processing of metal. At that time, there was no technology to make wheels on the Korean peninsula, so cargo was carried on the backs of oxen or carried on the shoulders or heads of people. The needle also needed to have a sharp metal tip and a hole in the back for the thread to pass through, and these items were ordered from China.

Isabella Bird traveled to Korea

Isabel Bird, who traveled to the Korean peninsula four times in three years from 1894 to 1897, said, ``The road to Seoul was so narrow that cattle could not pass each other, and it was like a maze.'' It's just a passage," he wrote. It can be seen from this that there were no vehicles with more than two horizontal wheels.

What is needed for the industrial revolution

The industrial revolution produced large machines and produced goods in large quantities. Wood processing technology and metal processing technology are essential to making industrial machinery. Distribution is then needed to transport the products to each region. Vehicles that transport raw materials and products need roads to begin with. In order to communicate work processes to workers and create manufacturing records, workers must be able to read and write. Without a monetary economy, products cannot be manufactured or traded. At that time, the Korean peninsula did not have everything necessary for the industrial revolution.

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Geographically, the Korean Peninsula is covered by the Chinese continent, and successive Korean dynasties have become vassal states - What is Japan's position from the perspective of the continental p Geographically, the Korean Peninsula is covered by mainland China A vassal state of China since its founding Korea continues to be invaded by China China and Korea were ruled by different ethnic groups Seeing history from the perspective of northern peoples South Korea only denounces Japanese rule The Korean Peninsula has a history that is inseparable from China, as the peninsula's geographical characteristics make it look like it is completely covered by the Chinese continent. What exactly is this sense of victimhood and hostility toward Japan that Korean people have? The historical differences between China and Japan seen from South Korea are largely due to geopolitical reasons as seen from a map, but that is not the only reason. I would like to think about it in terms of the dominant ethnic group and the ruled ethnic group. Legend has it that there were countries called Dangun Joseon and Minojo Joseon, but archaeologically it is said that they existed from the later Eishi Joseon. The legendary Mino Korea is said to have been founded by the Mino of the Shang Dynasty in China, and the Wei Dynasty Joseon is said to have been founded by the Wei clan of the Yan Dynasty in China. Both were founded as vassal states of China. After that, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla entered the Three Kingdoms period, and then the Sui Dynasty invaded Koguryo, and the Tang Dynasty invaded Koguryo. Although Goryeo established a unified dynasty, it was placed under the control of the Later Tang Dynasty shortly after its founding. During the Yuan Dynasty, China was invaded by the Mongol Empire and became a vassal state. The Allied Forces of Mongolia and Goryeo invaded Japan twice, but failed. Lee Seong-gye, who founded the Joseon Dynasty, is also known as the Jurchen people, and the Jurchen people were an ethnic group that lived in the Manchuria region, and later Hong Taiji founded the Qing Dynasty in China. From China's point of view, the Korean people are recognized as a different ethnic group living outside the Great Wall of China, and these ethnic groups lived primarily as nomadic peoples, but due to the geographical relationship of the peninsula, the Korean people have decided to settle down. It seems that it has become. Northern ethnic groups such as the Xiongnu, Xianbei, Khitan, Jurchen, Manchu, and Mongolians were a threat not only to the Han Chinese in China, but also to the Koreans. Looking at the history of China, there have been only a handful of unified dynasties founded by the Han Chinese, who make up the majority of the country, and for most of its history, different ethnic groups have ruled the Chinese mainland. When I look at world history, I have never seen a history centered on northern peoples, but if I dare to look at it from that perspective, both China and the Korean peninsula were invaded and dominated by northern peoples. The Sui, Tang, and Yuan dynasties that invaded the Korean Peninsula mentioned above are different ethnic states in China if you consider them centered on the Han people. It is also a country of different ethnic groups when viewed from the perspective of the Korean Peninsula. In addition to small-scale direct invasions by foreign ethnic groups, the majority of the history of the Korean peninsula is that they invaded the peninsula after taking control of mainland China. In this composition, Japan is classified as one of China's peripheral ethnic groups. Geographically speaking, Japan is called Toi in contrast to Northern Yi. They are a neighboring ethnic group common to China and the Korean Peninsula. If we look at the annexation of Japan and Korea in the above sense, it means that the Korean peninsula was ruled by a different ethnic nation that also shared China. It is also a foreign country to China. Some people point out the contradiction in that Koreans do not complain about the fact that they were ruled by China for over 1,000 years, but they hold a grudge against Japan for 1,000 years only for 35 years, but in reality, the country of China itself is the same. I wonder if there is a complicated background to the history of a controlled area. Historically, Japan may still be recognized as a common enemy of China and the Korean Peninsula. It is said that South Korea's sense of victimhood is something that has been cultivated historically, but if you look closer at the globe, you can see that mainland China has also had a history of being invaded. Based on this, Japan should resolutely clarify its position.

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Modernization brought about by Japan

Japan introduced industrial machinery, cars, roads, school education, etc. to the Korean Peninsula. The class system was abolished, slaves were freed, and a mobile labor force was created. This gave rise to mass production, wide-area distribution, and a monetary economy in which money and goods were exchanged. This is the industrial revolution and modernization that Japan brought to the Korean Peninsula.