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| Governor-General of Chōsen | |
|---|---|
| 朝鮮総督 | |
Seal of the Government-General of Korea
| |
Viscount Saitō Makoto 12 August 1919 – 14 April 1927 17 August 1929 – 17 June 1931 | |
| Status | Abolished |
| Residence | Official residence of the Governor-General of Chōsen |
| Seat | Government-General Building, Keijō |
| Appointer | Emperor of Japan |
| Precursor | Resident-General of Korea |
| Formation | 1 October 1910 |
| First holder | Terauchi Masatake |
| Final holder | Nobuyuki Abe |
| Abolished | 12 September 1945 |
| Superseded by | Soviet Civil Administration United States Army Military Government in Korea |
The Governor-General of Chōsen (Japanese: 朝鮮総督, romanized: Chōsen Sōtoku; Korean: 조선총독, romanized: Joseon Chongdok) was the chief administrator of the Government-General of Chōsen (Japanese: 朝鮮総督府, romanized: Chōsen Sōtokufu; Korean: 조선총독부, romanized: Joseon Chongdokbu) (a part of an administrative organ established by the Imperial government of Japan) from 1910 to 1945.
The governor-general of Chōsen was established shortly after the Korean Empire was formally annexed by the Empire of Japan in the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910 to replace the title of Resident-General. The governor-general of Chōsen was appointed from Tokyo and accountable to the emperor of Japan. The governor-general of Chōsen was responsible for the administrate ministry of the Chōsen regionin, including infrastructure, culture, justice, censorship, and the suppression of the Korean independence movement.[1][2]
The governor-general of Chōsen was seated in the General Government BuildinginKeijō after its completion in 1926.[3] Pending its completion, the Governor-General resided at Namsan.[4]
After the annexation of KoreatoJapan in 1910, the office of resident-general was replaced by that of governor-general. However, the position was unique in among Japan's external possessions, as the governor-general had sweeping plenipotentiary powers, and the position also entailed judicial oversight and some legislative powers. As of 1944, the governor-general did not command the Imperial Japanese ArmyorImperial Japanese Navy units stationed in Chōsen.[5] Given the powers and levels of responsibility, only ranking full generals in the Imperial Japanese Army were selected for the post, with the sole exception of Viscount Saitō, a retired admiral.
The governor-general of Chōsen had a police organisation, which may have been partly involved in having Korean women working as comfort women.[6][better source needed]
After the Japanese defeatinWorld War II, the Korean Peninsula was administered by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea. The governor-general building was demolished during administration of South Korean president Kim Yong-Sam on August 15, 1995.
Four individuals who held the position of the governor-general of Chōsen also held the office of the prime minister of Japan. Three, Terauchi Masatake, Saitō Makoto, and Koiso Kuniaki, were governors-general before becoming prime ministers. One, Abe Nobuyuki, was prime minister before his appointment as governor-general. Ugaki Kazushige was named prime minister-designate, but he could not take office because he was unable to form a cabinet.
In addition, Resident-General Itō Hirobumi served four terms as prime minister prior to his appointment to Korea.
After the annexation of Korea to Japan in 1910, the office of resident general was replaced by that of governor-general.
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Former external territories (gaichi) of Japan
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| Karafuto (naichi after 1943) |
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| Korea | |
| Taiwan | |
| Nan'yō | |
| Kantō-shū |
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