Description
The overall description of the history short essay was as follows:
- Main Topic: “How Did Imperial Japan Colonize Korea?”
- Format: Chicago-style essay format (College-level)
- Major Source: Previous history lessons and extra online research
- Purpose: To devise own interpretation of historical events based on the knowledge acquired from the project, and to incorporate the knowledge into further research and translations
Main Ideas & Significance
The main ideas included were as follows:
- Yejin Choi: Division of Korea and the approach of Japanese colonization
- Main ideas
- Complexity of Japanese Colonization and the multifaceted nature of the colonization due to political, social, and economic factors
- Social factors leading to vulnerability
- Political weakness and instability in Korea
- Economic exploitation and dependency
- Significance
- Provides a holistic view of the multifaceted reasons behind Japan's colonization of Korea
- Explores the profound effects on Korean society, culture, economy, and politics due to Japanese rule
- Demonstrates how internal vulnerabilities in Korea facilitated Japan's imperial control and aligns with broader patterns of global power dynamics in the early 20th century

History Eessay - Sophie Choi.pdf
- Myungseok Kim: Foreign Interventions and the Erosion of Joseon Korea's Sovereignty
- Main ideas
- Tributary relationship with the Qing dynasty
- French expedition of 1866
- Overall impact on Joseon’s sovereignty
- Significance
- Explores intricate factors contributing to Korea’s vulnerability to colonization
- Highlights consequences of tribute obligations and foreign military expeditions on Joseon’s sovereignty
- Shows how foreign interventions hampered modernization efforts, setting the stage for Japanese colonization

History Essay_ Myungseok Kim.pdf