Russia's Korean Neutralization Plans and Witte's Manchurian Policy Cover Image

ロシアの韓国中立化政策-ウィッテの対満州政策との関連で-
Russia's Korean Neutralization Plans and Witte's Manchurian Policy

Author(s): Hua-jeong Seok
Subject(s): History
Published by: Slavic Research Center

Summary/Abstract: This paper elucidates the plans for Korea’s neutralization by Russia between 1900-1903 and evaluates its connection with Count Witte’s Manchurian policy It deals with a series of three attempts to realize Korea’s neutrality under the auspices of a “joint guarantee by the Powers,” which was invented by the Russian government. In most of the literature reviewed, discussions about Russia’s Korean neutralization plans have failed to view them as policies initiated by the government as a whole, and tended to interpret them only as impromptu, unauthoritative proposals by Russian Ministers on the spot. Witte, as the Russian Minister of Finance who had the greatest influence in Russian East Asian affairs, sought to strike separate under-the-table deals with Japan concerning K orea’s neutrality. Japan in fact wanted a free hand for itself in the Korean peninsula, however, which seemed to Russia absolutely unacceptable in view of Korea’s paramount strategic significance. This study shows that Korea’s neutralization was Russia’s ultimate goal, and this goal conflicted with lapan’s stance on the Korean and Manchurian issues. In the end, these tensions contributed to the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War in 1904.

  • Issue Year: 1999
  • Issue No: 46
  • Page Range: 33-55
  • Page Count: 23
  • Language: Japanese