日本のメディアから見る日露戦争－韓国保護国化政策との関連を視點として－

Abstract

This article uses the case studies of Nirokusinbun and Yorozutyōhō in the perspective of the high popularization rate of the Japanese media during the Russo-Japanese War, to investigate how the media during the period under review used vocabulary dealing with Korea to make a forceful social conception in favor of Japan’s promotion of the Korean protectorate and the Japan-Korea annexation afterward. This article demonstrates that these two papers regarded the Russo-Japanese War as a proper opportunity for Japan to expand its influence over Korea, and asserted that the Japanese adviser appointed to the Korean government should assume all political control. This was for “protecting” the independence of Korea. To demonstrate this point, these two papers used not only the previous examples of foreign protectorate system or the history of the Japanese adviser politics in Korea, but also the social conceptions of “civilization” and “protection” generated from modern Japan-Korea diplomatic relations. In addition, these two papers assumed that the protectorate status was achieved first by pacifying the domestic situation in Korea, and eventually, through education and such theories as “Japan and Korea with the same ancestor” to achieve the goal of “assimilation” = “japanization”. As such, the mass media which had tended to concentrate on popular and commercial interest, put together the Russo-Japanese War and the Korean protectorate into consideration in order to manipulate the public opinion for consolidating the citizen’s identity on war and the nation. Besides, they confused the difference between protectorate and colony, and therefore, when the Japan-Korea annexation took place, many media support for the move. Even such notions as “assimilation” and “Japan and Korea with the same ancestor” became forceful public opinions to justify the colonial rule over Korea.