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Seiyukai Representative Eihu Moriya and Colonial Chosen Society

  • Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University
  • 2022, 79(4), pp.283-322
  • DOI : 10.17326/jhsnu.79.4.202211.283
  • Publisher : Institute of Humanities, Seoul National University
  • Research Area : Humanities > Other Humanities
  • Received : October 7, 2022
  • Accepted : November 8, 2022
  • Published : November 29, 2022

Lee hyoung-sik 1

1고려대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Moriya Eihu exerted very strong power as the ‘doorknob power’ of the governor of Chosen during his term of office in Chosen, and continued to have an influence on Chosen with the ‘personal connections of the Governor-General of Chosen’ and those of the northeast area remaining in Japan as his background, even after he had left Chosen in 1924. Even after he became a member of House of Representatives, he raised funds for the war and rallied its supporting forces by establishing a Chosen branch of Dainihonsyouwarenmei, his own political organization. Using his ‘personal connections with Chosen people’ as a former lawyer, he took charge of big cases in Chosen, and got deeply involved in Chosen society and pending issues of Chosen by playing a role of window of the colonial lobby between Japanese in Chosen and influential people of Chosen. In this paper, the cases that Moriy was concerned with in his Jungwoohoe days, such as the case of Chosen industry, the establishment of Hamheung hydroelectricity, the Chosen civil engineering collusion case, and the matter of accepting Najin land, were used to examine the ways in which colonial politics operated. As a former colonial officer, Moriy made trials of the Chosen industry case, the Chosen civil engineering collusion case and others advantageous to his clients by contacting judges in advance or by mobilizing the Chosen governor, the prime minister, and the first political party, Jeongwoohoe, during the trials. Through his defense in the Akutsu trial where he turned away from the Chosen people whose land had been taken away, he not only earned a reputation as a lawyer, but also could finance his office as a member of House of Representatives. He raised funds by speaking for the influential Japanese in Chosen. In addition, he was also actively involved in the business of interest including the establishment of Hamheung hydroelectricity or the matter of accepting Najin land. In this process, he contacted the Japanese Government-General of Chosen, Mantetsu, local governments and others and lobbied them widely. His ‘colonial lobby’ for the establishment of Hamheung hydroelectricity can be said to be the typical case of ‘colonial development’ through ‘the corrupt relationship among government, business and offices' although it was dashed because of local residents’ fierce opposition.

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