Directory_and_Chronicle_1923 — Page 596

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China, and the Emperor of Japan also claimed his allegiance, but by the Treaty of Kokwa, concluded with Japan in 1876, the independence of the country was acknow- ledged, though China, which assented to Corea's conclusion of this and other treaties with foreign Powers as an independent kingdom, inconsistently continued to claim suzerainty. Upon the establishment of Japanese in the ports of Fusan and Yuensan. the prejudice against foreign intercourse gradually abated, and on the 2nd May, 1882, a treaty of friendship and commerce was signed by the Corean Government at Jenchuan (Chemulpo) with Commodore Shufeldt on behalf of the United States. A Treaty with England was signed by Sir Harry Parkes on the 26th November, 1883; in 1884 treaties were also concluded with Germany and Russia, and later with France, Italy, and Austria. The total population of Corea, as returned by the Census Board in 1920, was 17,284,207. One small newspaper written in English, the Seoul Press (conductel by Japanese), is published in Seoul.

The industries of Corea are mainly agricultural. The foreign trade of the country has shown steady development under the fostering care of the Japanese. In 1904, the total value of the country's foreign trade was yen 34,933,306. In 1920 the value was yen 446,306,600-exports yen 197,020,000 and imports yen 249,286,000, as against exports yen 219,665,781 and imports yen 280,786,318 in 1919. This shows a decrease of 22,500,000 yen in exports, and a decrease of 31,500,000 yen in imports as compared with 1919. Japan naturally does the bulk of the trade, her share in 1920 being 57 per cent. of the imports and 86 per cent. of the exports.

Gold mining has become in recent years an important industry. There are several gold mines now being worked by British, American, French and Italian syndicates. A number of placer and other mines are worked by natives on a small scale and by Japanese. There is a tendency to increase in the output by Japanese operators, for mining is beginning to attract the attention of capitalists of good repute in Japan. Especially has the European war stimulated the more extensive undertakings of mining by Japanese capitalists.

A brighter era dawned for trade and commerce and much else in Corea when the agreement of 1904 was negotiated, giving to Japan virtual control of the administration. Japan lost no time in exercising the power she had acquired. The reform of the effete, incompetent and corrupt administration which had for centuries been in vogue in Corea was a task of no little magnitude. The old order of things cannot be changed in a day, or a decade, but a most promising commencement has been made Japan has set to work organising, as among the first essentials of good government, a judicial system which will guarantee the honest and impartial administration of justice by trained judges. A beginning has also been made with the colification of the laws of the country. Gradually the system of local administration is being reformed in a manner which will eliminate old political abuses and lead up ultimately to a system of local autonomy. A law was passed in August, 1920, for the creation of advisory bodies of three kinds, viz., Provincial Councils, Municipal Councils, and Village Councils. The principle of election has been introduced except in respect of the Village Councils. Reform of the financial administration has received a great deal of attention with excellent results; the Government-General became financially independent for the first time in 1919, no advance being required in that year from the Imperial Government. Among other branches of the administration which have been inoculated with the leaven of reform are the Educational and the Police systems. The topographical changes that are being brought about in Corea are, perhaps, reforms of the greatest general interest. Fine highways connecting village with village and town with town are now replacing the bridle paths and ruts that have always passed for roads in Corea, and railways are gradually spreading out and linking up the chief centres of population throughout the country. The plan of the Government was the construction of 23 State roads of a length of almost fifteen hundred miles at a cost of ten million yen, but this scheme was subsequently modified. There are now in Corea, including roads constructed prior to the annexation in 1910, over sixteen hundred miles of graded highways. First-class roads are 24 feet wide, and include those con- necting the capital with the provincial governments; second-class roads are 18 feet wide, and run between the provincial governments and the ports and prefectural magistracies. The total length of the roads in the peninsula is over six thousand miles, the old native roads included, these being now repaired and improved.

Water- works have been provided by the Government at Chemulpo and Pyeng-yang, while at Seoul, and at all other provincial capitals, the Government has established hospitals for the sick.