이 논문은 근대기 조선침략과정에서 나타난 일본과 서구열강의 제국주의적 행태와 한반도분단의 연관성에 대해 고찰하였다. 19세기말 동아시아국제정세는 서구열강의 제국주의침투가 계속되면서 혼란과 갈등이 심화되었다. 조선은 16세기 임진왜란과 17세기 병자호란을 경험했음에도 불구하고, 19세기말 국제정세에 대한 대외인식의 부족으로 결국 일본에 강제점령당하고 말았다. 일본의 조선침략은 1870년대 이후부터 이미 준비되었다. 일본의 조선침략은 국제범죄행위이며, 이 문제는 21세기에 들어와서도 해결해야 할 국제적 과제로 남아 있다. 특히 북한과 일본이 아직 과거 식민지 배상문제가 아직 끝나지 않았다는 점에서 더욱 그렇다. 일본의 조선침략은 그들이 1868년 메이지유신으로 근대화를 이룬 결과, 자국의 경제적 이권을 확보하기 위한 제국주의적 발상에서 비롯되었다. 일본은 조선을 청일전쟁과 러일전쟁 승리 이후 강제로 위협하여 점령했다는 점에서 제국주의적 약탈국가로 규정할 수 있다. 조선침략은 미국, 영국, 러시아 등 서구열강이 제국주의동맹관계에서 일본을 지원한 침략동맹관계에서 이루어진 산물이었다. 이러한 일본과 서구열강의 제국주의동맹관계에도 불구하고, 조선 상층부 집권층은 흥선대원군파와 민씨정권파로 국론이 분열되었다. 조선의 국론분열은 일본을 비롯한 서구열강에게 조선침략을 위한 빌미를 제공하였다. 19세기말 조선엘리트와 시민의식은 아직 미성숙상태였으며, 체제개혁을 위한 강력한 리더십은 미약했다. 조선에 대한 일본과 서구열강의 역사적 과오는 제국주의동맹을 통해 일방적으로 약소국을 강제점령하는 국제평화질서를 파괴한 행위였다. 조선강점 이후 일본과 서구열강은 오직 그들의 자국경제적 이익추구를 위해 국제평화를 무시한 제국주의동맹행태를 지속시켜 왔다. 제2차 세계대전 종전 이후 일방적인 한반도의 분단역시 그동안 19세기-20세기에 걸쳐 진행된 일본과 미국, 러시아 등의 제국주의국가들의 동맹관계에서 비롯된 산물에 불과하다. 과거 조선침략에 대한 일본과 서구열강의 제국주의행태들은 21세기 인류의 보편적 가치추구입장에서 재평가해야 한다. 본 논문의 결론은 한반도 문제 해결은 한민족이 자주적 역량으로 민족문제를 해결했을 때만이 가능하다고 본다.

This study aims to identify the relations between the imperialistic behaviors of Japan and western powers shown in the process of the Japanese invasion and division of the Korean peninsula. The international political conditions of East Asia in the late 19th century were confusing and complicating as invasion of western powers continued. Korea was forcibly occupied by Japan as it was blind to international political conditions though both nations had fought in the Imjin War in the 16th century and the Byeongja War in the 17th century. Japanese invasion of Korea had been prepared from 1870. It was an international crime which remains to be seriously considered in the 21st century, especially, the liability for reparation between North Korea and Japan, which has not yet been resolved. Japanese invasion of Korea came from an imperialistic idea to secure its economic interests as a result of modernization in 1868. Japan is considered as a nation of imperialistic plunder as it threatened and occupied Korea after they won the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War. The invasion of Korea was a joint work obtained through aggressive alliances between Japan and western powers such as America, England and Russia which supported the Japanese invasion. In spite of the imperial alliance between the two parties, Korean upper class with political power were divided into the Hueingseon party and the Min Family party. The split provided a pretext for western powers to invade Korea. Korean elites and citizenship were mature and powerful leadership to drive innovation of the political systems was not enough in the late 19th century. However, a historical error of Japan and western powers to Korea can not be exempted in that it was a forceful behavior that occupied a weak nation and destructed international peace through the imperial alliance. After the forced occupation of Korea, they maintained the imperial alliance, ignoring internal peace to pursue their own economic interests. The division of the Korean peninsula after the completion of World War 2 was a product derived from imperial alliance between Japan, America, and Russia maintained during the 19th and early 20th century. The past imperialistic behaviors of Japan and western powers should be reevaluated to pursue a universal value of human beings in the 21st century. Therefore, this study suggests that the problems in Korean peninsula can be solved only when the Korean people solve their national problem based on independent capability.

This study aims to identify the relations between the imperialistic behaviors of Japan and western powers shown in the process of the Japanese invasion and division of the Korean peninsula. The international political conditions of East Asia in the late 19th century were confusing and complicating as invasion of western powers continued. Korea was forcibly occupied by Japan as it was blind to international political conditions though both nations had fought in the Imjin War in the 16th century and the Byeongja War in the 17th century. Japanese invasion of Korea had been prepared from 1870. It was an international crime which remains to be seriously considered in the 21st century, especially, the liability for reparation between North Korea and Japan, which has not yet been resolved. Japanese invasion of Korea came from an imperialistic idea to secure its economic interests as a result of modernization in 1868. Japan is considered as a nation of imperialistic plunder as it threatened and occupied Korea after they won the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War. The invasion of Korea was a joint work obtained through aggressive alliances between Japan and western powers such as America, England and Russia which supported the Japanese invasion. In spite of the imperial alliance between the two parties, Korean upper class with political power were divided into the Hueingseon party and the Min Family party. The split provided a pretext for western powers to invade Korea. Korean elites and citizenship were mature and powerful leadership to drive innovation of the political systems was not enough in the late 19th century. However, a historical error of Japan and western powers to Korea can not be exempted in that it was a forceful behavior that occupied a weak nation and destructed international peace through the imperial alliance. After the forced occupation of Korea, they maintained the imperial alliance, ignoring internal peace to pursue their own economic interests. The division of the Korean peninsula after the completion of World War 2 was a product derived from imperial alliance between Japan, America, and Russia maintained during the 19th and early 20th century. The past imperialistic behaviors of Japan and western powers should be reevaluated to pursue a universal value of human beings in the 21st century. Therefore, this study suggests that the problems in Korean peninsula can be solved only when the Korean people solve their national problem based on independent capability.

Invasion to Korea, the Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, Imperial alliance, and guilt of division of Korean peninsular