William Elliot Griffis (1843-1928), the first American expert in Japan, was greatly interested in Korea as well. He wrote Corea, the Hermit Nation in 1882, published its revised and enlarged editions which fully explained conditions in Korea, introduced the country to various people by writing and lectures, made a close friend of Western missionaries, diplomats, and teachers in Korea, and especially, was involved in the Korean independence movement in the United States.
This article reviews Griffis’ position on Korea under Japanese rule : Was the for or against Japanese occupation of Korea? Did he change his mind or not after March 1st Movement? And why did he join in the projects of Korean Commission to America and Europe and League of the Friends of Korea? The author uses Korean Materials in the William Elliot Griffis Collection (WEGC), Rutgers University (New Jersey State University), his alma mater.
Basically, Griffis had faith in Western civilization. He thought that Korea, like many countries, had to adopt it as universal civilization. He was a lover of Japan, too. He was fascinated by her, which was the only successful modern state in the Far East, and, personally, changed ais whole life.
First of all, Griffis highly approved Japan’s protectorate over Korea and colonization of her. He thought that she could make much faster progress under Japanese rule.
Secondly, he was on Japan’s side even after March 1st Movement, though he opposed her violent military rule. He criticized that it was started by a small minority, not by all Korean people, and was really exaggerated by media. He came to the conclusion that Japan had only to replace her military officers with civilian ones.
Finally, he restrictively participated Korean independence movement on U.S. soil between 1919 and 1922, but he did not want Korea set free Japan. He considered himself as a friend of both Japan and Korea and did the only thing he could do ? introducing Korean history and civilization to American people.
In summary, Griffis believed that Korea would be modernized under Japan’s guidance, agreed to her occupation of Korea, and advocated her even after March 1st Movement. In his later years, he participated in Korean independence movement, but what he did was neither voluntary nor enthusiastic. He wanted Japan to rule Korea in a good way, not to release her, and, at the first visit to Korea in the spring of 1927, he thought that he was right to trust Japan.