ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how Japanese colonial land legislation was established through the use or exclusion of the Korean government's autonomous land reforms, by taking into account how existing traditions and customs were combined with new legislation in order to create colonial land legislation. The land reforms by the government started with the Reform of 1894. The Ministry of Finance received the land taxes from all the arable lands including post station and public office lands as well as "royal palace lands". Between 1898 and 1904, the Great Han Empire carried out projects to measure the farmlands and issue land ownership deeds. Resident-General to thought it was necessary to establish long-term land legislation in Korea in order to secure the financial foundation of the colony and guarantee the investments of Japanese people. In January 1906, Korea became a protectorate of Japan and the Japanese Residency-General of Korea was established; the first Resident-General, Ito Hirobumi, controlled internal affairs.
