This essay examines a 2001 international academic conference held at Harvard University, where scholars debated the legality of the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty. While Korean participants argued that the annexation was illegal, Professor J. Crawford of Cambridge University asserted that, under the international law of that era, such annexations were not unlawful. The discussion highlights broader geopolitical tensions in East Asia and the historical narratives surrounding Japan.

2019-02-14
It has become increasingly clear to the Japanese public that our nation is surrounded by deeply troubling states: a kidnapper state (North Korea), an island thief (South Korea), and a maritime marauder (China).

A chapter titled “On November 16, 2001, an international academic conference was held at Harvard University’s Asia Center,” which I published on March 4, 2018, has now entered the top ten in search rankings on Goo.
The following continues from the previous chapter.

◆On November 16, 2001, an international academic conference was held at Harvard University’s Asia Center in the United States.
It is said that the event was prepared under the leadership of Korean scholars with support from the Korea Foundation, an organization affiliated with the South Korean government.
The Korean side intended to establish the argument of the illegality of the Japan–Korea Annexation on the international stage.
Scholars from the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan gathered there and engaged in debate.

The Korean side first argued that Japan had illegally annexed Korea.
However, Professor J. Crawford of Cambridge University, an expert in international law, strongly advanced the argument of legality.

He asserted that “for states unable to sustain themselves, it was not uncommon at that time for neighboring countries to incorporate them from the standpoint of international order, and therefore the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty was not illegal under international law.”

Naturally, the Korean side strongly objected and argued that it had been forced upon them by Japan.
Yet Professor Crawford reportedly dismissed this argument by stating that “the notion that coercion makes a treaty illegal is a concept that emerged after the First World War and therefore was not applicable at the time.”

As a result, the Korean delegation reportedly left the conference in dejection.
”p.106

Thus it has become increasingly evident that Japan is surrounded by troubling states: a kidnapper state (North Korea), an island thief (South Korea), and a maritime marauder (China).