• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
• /
• no.41
• /
• pp.213-260
• /
• 2014

This paper illustrates the process of Japanese invasion of Joseon. In the December of 1905, specifically, Japan established the Residency-General in order to reform systems of government and to control records. Japan founded the Residency-General to reinforce the internal affairs of Joseon. Then, they reorganized systems of government using Joseon's bureaucracy system. The reorganization facilitated control of current and non-current records. After all, this helped Japan to know the actual circumstances of Joseon and the invasion of Joseon. To be specific, Japan organized the records at the Kyujanggak, an imperial library of the Joseon Dynasty, for understanding historical records and dominated Joseon government's current records for comprehending vulnerability of Joseon. On the other hand, Japan invaded Joseon by justifying their actions as 'administration improvement' and 'reformation'. Here are the actual examples. First, the Residency-General dominated the Kyujanggak and reorganized historical records which were stored there. It lasted for two years and let Japan comprehend the course of Joseon history. Second, the Residency-General collected and arranged current records of Joseon. It was buckled down in the August of 1910, when the Great Han Empire collapsed. After the fall of the Great Han Empire, the Residency-General transferred government records from the Japanese Government-General of Korea in order to understand the state of Joseon. Last, the Residency-General arranged records on both governmental and the Imperial property, then most of them reverted to national property.