German Newspaper Reports on the Japanese Colonization of Korea from 1905 to 1910

Abstract

This article examines how different German newspaper reported on the Japanese colonization of Korea, as well as their diverse perspective on the colonization. In opposition to the stereotypical notion that the Western media abounded with reports on orientalism and colonialism, this article argues that German journalists and newspapers were sufficiently diverse to provide divergent perspectives on the Japanese colonization of Korea. Furthermore, a careful analysis of the German newspaper reports reveals the existence of the strong editorial frame, which seems to predetermine the direction of these news reports. The newspapers that clearly supported the Japanese could be identified and they did ignore the situation of the Korean peoples on which the other newspapers did not fail to report. This diversity doesn't allow simple and easy explanation, but can be used as a strong evidence to refute the omnipresence of the colonial discourse.