근대 국제법상 강대국 일본의 약소국 한국 병합에 대한 고찰

In August 1910, the Small state of Korea was annexed by the Great Power of Japan. Here, ‘Small States’, ‘Great Powers’, and ‘Annexation’ are terms used in international law. Therefore, tracing the international legal significance of Japan's annexation of Korea requires a systematic approach to these terms. Both Small States and Great Powers are recognized as sovereign states and International Persons. While politically distinct from Great Powers, Small States legally retain their status as International Persons. There have been instances where even the status of a Small State has shifted to that of a Great Power. In 1905, Korea became a protectorate of Japan, and thus naturally lost its status as a full International Person, and was considered a Small State in the broadest sense. In the Family of Nations, Great Powers have been defined as major powers that have led international conferences since the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Japan was recognized as a Great Power by the Family of Nations, along with the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, in the Treaty of Versailles, which concluded World War I in 1919. Next, annexation signifies the disappearance of a state as a International Person. As evidenced by the 1795 annexation of Poland by Russia, Austria, and Prussia, annexation of a Small State by a Great Power was possible even within the same civilization. Although very limited, intervention of third Power in annexation may exist. The existing Great Powers did not intervene in Japan's annexation of Korea in 1910. However, when Japan declared war on these powers, the Allied leaders of the United States, Republic of China, and the United Kingdom belatedly intervened in Japan's annexation of Korea through the Cairo Declaration in December 1943, and this was ultimately realized.