On 1 April 1905, the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire sign the Japan–Korea Agreement of April 1905 (communications-services agreement / 한일통신기관협정서). The plenipotentiaries are Hayashi Gonsuke (Japan) and Yi Ha-yeong (Korea). The text is published in the Carnegie collection of Korean treaties.

Article I transfers to Japan the control and administration of post, telegraph and telephone services in Korea (except the Imperial Household telephone). Article II hands over land, buildings and appliances; an inventory is made jointly.

Article III lets Japan appropriate state land without compensation and private property with indemnification to extend the network. Japan bears the costs, notifies financial condition and engages as many Korean officials as possible; materials are duty-free.

Japan exercises on Korea’s behalf the rights and obligations under prior foreign arrangements on communications. Surplus profits were to be shared with Korea; control might return to Seoul when Korean finances allowed.

The agreement belongs to the coercive 1904–1905 series (February 1904 Protocol, August 1904 Agreement, then the November Eulsa Treaty). Gojong seeks to invalidate them diplomatically; the 1965 Japan–Korea Basic Relations Treaty declares them “already null and void.”

The Japan–Korea Agreement of 1 April 1905 remains the step that placed Korea’s communications infrastructure under Japanese administration before the November protectorate.

Image: Seoul / Deoksugung; Wikimedia Commons. Cropped to 16:9.

Source consulted: Japan–Korea Agreement of April 1905. Treaty text: Korea, Treaties and Agreements (Carnegie Endowment / Scott).