2.5. Japanese Rule - Private Property of Land
In 1905, Korea became a Japanese protectorate and was annexed
in 1910. The Japanese administration immediately started a
land survey which, in 8 years and with 3,400 .surveyors, covered
4.8 million ha. The purpose was to establish the land value
as a tax basis, the existing rights on land, and to identify
the topography. At the same time, the legal basis for the
sale, mortgage, and exchange of land was prepared. Then, a
report system was used to establish private ownership rights
and to bring land into Japanese hands. Whoever reported as
owner was acknowledged as such. This system was known only
to the Japanese and some members of the Korean upper class,
and they took advantage of their knowledge. For the first
time, full private property of land with the right to sell
was legally established.
As a result, the Japanese and Korean feudal ruling class
became landowners, usually absentee landlords, while the hereditary
tiller on the land, who, hitherto, had to pay a tax only to
the feudalist, became a tenant. This new dependency was exploited,
and, in addition to the rent, gifts had to be given in order
to avoid dismissal. The rent, together with the value of gifts,
equalled 50-90 per cent of the production. Deteriorating prices
as compared to input prices also caused many small peasants
to become indebted. Many of them migrated to other countries
at that time, or lost their rights and became agricultural
labourers. Under these conditions, all the plans to increase
rice production failed, as did the projects for land reclamation
in spite of subsidies. Landlords found it easier to exact
higher rents from tenants than to take the risk of investing
in land clearing. Altogether, in 1945, half of all farms which
had 70 per cent of paddy land was operated by tenants. Their
misery only increased when, during the war, more food was
exacted from Korea.
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