View source for Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty of 1907

==Background==
[[Image:Eulsa retraction.jpg|thumb|right|Emperor Gojong's letter to the King of England, retracting the signing of the Eulsa Treaty]]
Emperor Gojong, in attempt to alert the international community of Japan's attempts to colonise Korea, secretly dispatched a number of emissaries to the Second Hague Conference on World Peace (15 June to 18 October 1907). They attempted to present various world leaders with a letter from the Emperor, refuting the terms of the [[Eulsa Treaty]], but they were refused entry to the conference.

When the Japanese learned of this, they, via the Office of the Resident-General, [[Ito Hirobumi|Itō Hirobumi]],  forced Emperor Gojong to abdicate the throne in favour of his son, Sunjong.

The treaty allowed large number of Japanese officials to penetrate the executive and judicial branches of the Korean government, thus accelerating the scheme to fully colonise Korea. The Korean armed forces were disarmed and disbanded and the judicial system was reorganized to serve Japanese needs. 

Moreover, in a secret memorandum attached to the Korean-Japan agreement, it was stipulated that Korean military forces would be dissolved and that courts, newly constructed prisons, and the police would be turned over to Japanese management. This enabled the Japanese to assume actual judicial and police authority.