ON 25 AUGUST 1910 the Japanese government notified the British Ambassador in Tokyo that Korea and Japan had signed a Treaty of Annexation on 22 August that would be promulgated on 29 August as from when Japan would carry out administration in Korea in accordance with the following declaration:

• (1) The Treaties hitherto concluded by Korea with foreign Powers ceasing to be operative, Japan's existing Treaties will, so far as practicable, be applied in Korea.

• (2) Duties… existing duties continue for ten years.

• (3) Coasting trade… permitted for ten years within open ports in Korea and ports in Japan.

• (4) The existing ports of Korea except Masampho will continue as open ports and in addition Shin-Wiju will be newly opened.

Japan's annexation of Korea was hardly a surprise after the establishment of its Protectorate in 1905.

In 1907, the Japanese started re-organising the administration of justice in Korea and, to this end, recruited 15 Japanese judges and 12 court clerks for service in the Korean courts. The Japanese judges in Korea did not take bribes – something that the Japan Weekly Chronicle said that Korean judges considered to be ridiculous. The newspaper suggested that the rapid introduction of Japanese judges and work on a new code of laws was all intended by Japan to end in the abolition of the foreign consular courts in Korea. New independent law courts were established in Korea on 1 August 1908 – all run by the Japanese.

It had taken Japan nearly 30 years to succeed in abolishing extraterritoriality in Japan from the time that Iwakura first raised the issue during his Mission to America and Europe in 1870 – 1871.