Ito Hirobumi was born in 1841 in the Chōshū Domain as the son of a low-ranking samurai.
Despite being born into poverty, he had a passion for learning. At the age of 11, he learned to read and write at a local village school, and at 14, he was assigned to perform miscellaneous duties for the samurai in his hometown. However, recognizing his talent and passion for learning, a man named Kuruhara Ryōzō, whom Ito served, saw his potential. Kuruhara wrote him a letter of introduction and sent him to meet Yoshida Shōin.

Yoshida Shōin is regarded as the founder of Japan’s right-wing ideology and later played a significant role in the expansionist ideology of the Japanese Empire. Ito, deeply influenced by Yoshida’s teachings, entered his private school.

Yoshida Shōin was strongly opposed to the shogunate’s policy of actively embracing Western civilization. When the shogunate signed the Japan-U.S. Treaty of Amity and Commerce without the Emperor’s permission, Yoshida plotted the assassination of key shogunate officials. However, his plan failed, and he was arrested and executed in 1859.

Even after Yoshida’s death, Ito did not forget his teachings. His beliefs evolved, and he became actively involved in the Sonnō Jōi (“Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians”) movement, participating in terrorist activities and assassinations. His notable actions included participating in the 1863 arson attack on the British legation, the assassination of Uno Tōkai, a shogunate spy, and the murder of Hanawa Jirō and his students, who attempted to depose the Emperor.

That same year, in May 1863, Inoue Kaoru submitted a proposal to the Chōshū Domain, and as a result, Ito was selected as one of the five students sent to study in Britain, known as the “Chōshū Five.” Upon arriving in London, he lodged at the residence of Alexander Williamson, a professor at University College London (UCL), where he studied English. His time in London was a profound shock to him. Witnessing the prosperity and culture of the West, which was unimaginable in Japan at the time, left a deep impression on him. This experience, including his English studies, later became a significant foundation for his career.

Ito Hirobumi’s Time in London and Aftermath
After about a year of studying in Britain, Ito hurriedly returned to Japan upon hearing that a foreign fleet was at war with his homeland, the Chōshū Domain. The foreign fleet had originally come for trade negotiations, but the Chōshū Domain, dominated by the Sonnō Jōi ideology, rejected them, leading to war. Using his English skills, Ito mediated between the two sides, ultimately resolving the conflict.

By late 1864, when the Chōshū Domain adopted a conciliatory stance toward the shogunate, Ito became convinced of the necessity of overthrowing the shogunate and establishing a strong imperial government. He joined Takasuji Shinsaku’s group of young samurai, launched a coup, and formed a faction of radical politicians. After numerous struggles, they ultimately succeeded in overthrowing the shogunate, ushering in the Meiji Restoration.

Rise in the Meiji Government
In 1878, the most powerful figure in the government at the time, Ōkubo Toshimichi, was assassinated, and Ito took his place as Minister of Home Affairs. He began purging his opposition from the government and spent three years drafting Japan’s first constitution, which became the foundation of modern Japanese law. During this period, he traveled across Germany and other European nations to study their legal systems, further influenced by his early experiences studying in London.

Imperial Expansion and Korea
In 1902, the Anglo-Japanese Alliance was secretly negotiated under Ito’s leadership. While he considered negotiating with Russia for the exchange of Manchuria and Korea, these efforts failed. In 1904, Ito decided to go to war with Russia (Russo-Japanese War) and three months later, he visited Korea to pressure King Gojong into cooperating with Japan.

After Japan’s victory in the Russo-Japanese War, the Treaty of Portsmouth was signed in 1905, and soon after, Japan deprived Korea of its diplomatic sovereignty under the pretense of signing a “protectorate treaty”—the Eulsa Treaty (Japan-Korea Protectorate Treaty). Due to prior incidents, including the assassination of the Korean queen and these coercive treaties, Ito became a deeply hated figure among Koreans. In 1905, while visiting Suwon, Korea, he was struck in the head by a rock thrown by a young man, suffering serious injuries.

Following the Eulsa Treaty, Ito established the Korean Resident-General Government and assumed the role of Resident-General. In 1906, he officially declared Japan’s de facto rule over Korea.

The Hague Secret Mission & Annexation of Korea
In 1907, unable to remain passive, King Gojong secretly sent three envoys to the Hague Peace Conference in the Netherlands to expose Japan’s control over Korea to the international community. However, the Japanese Foreign Ministry discovered this, and Ito publicly condemned the Korean royal family. Within the Japanese cabinet, some began criticizing Ito, claiming he was mismanaging Korea. Ito, however, turned the situation to his advantage by advocating for even stronger control over Korea.

Using the Hague Incident as a pretext, Ito forced King Gojong to abdicate and initiated discussions on the complete annexation of Korea. That same year, the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty was signed, officially beginning Korea’s colonization.

In 1909, Ito traveled to Harbin, Manchuria, for negotiations on the control of the South Manchurian Railway with Russian Finance Minister Vladimir Kokovtsov. However, upon arriving at Harbin Station, he was assassinated by Korean independence activist An Jung-geun, marking the end of his life.

Contrasting Perceptions of Ito Hirobumi in Korea and Japan

Ito Hirobumi is a highly divisive figure in Korea and Japan. Through this project, I conducted my first in-depth study on him, and I found several unexpected aspects.

He is most positively evaluated for leading the Meiji Restoration, which laid the economic foundations for modern Japan, and for drafting Japan’s modern constitution. Some argue that, because Ito was a moderate, Korea’s colonization might have been less brutal under his governance. Some even claim that his assassination was a mistake because it allowed hardline factions to take over, leading to more oppressive policies such as cultural erasure and forced assimilation.

However, this argument is fundamentally flawed. While Ito’s policies may have seemed moderate, he was still committed to fully absorbing Korea into Japan. His strategy was to slowly erase Korean resistance and make Koreans willingly accept Japanese rule rather than forcibly imposing it.

Additionally, if Ito had not been assassinated, Koreans might not have actively resisted Japanese rule, and the independence movement might not have gained momentum. Although Korea ultimately gained independence due to Japan’s defeat in World War II, the legacy of the independence movement played a crucial role in shaping national identity.

Final Thoughts on the Project Direction

We will discuss whether to directly expose and criticize Ito Hirobumi’s actions or simply present the historical facts inscribed on the stone monument to allow viewers to form their own interpretations.