Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty
The Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty was signed on August 22, 1910 by Korean and Japanese Imperial Governments. It started the de facto period of Japanese rule in Korea. The name Korea was abolished and the ancient name Chosen (Chinese, Chao-sien, morning freshness or morning calm) replaced it. Maps drawn after 1910 identify the Korean peninsula as Chosen. The legality of the Treaty is disputed, as the Emperor of Korea, Sunjong, refused to sign the treaty as required. The people who ratified the treaty were Korean ministers who were forcibly threatened by Japanese troops present at the sigining. Nonetheless, the legality is still asserted by Japan.