the Jeju Fish Wars of the 1890s

In the 1890s, the seas surrounding Jeju Island were rich with fish and natural resources from which the islanders made their living. Many Japanese fishermen, dismayed at the increasing barrenness of their own waters, began to appear in increasing numbers off Jeju.

In the summer of 1890, the Jeju islanders petitioned the Korean government for help in obtaining justice for a murder. Reportedly, a Japanese fishing boat had docked at a small fishing village and a sailor had wandered into the village without permission. When confronted, he drew his sword and murdered Yang Chong-sin. The islanders claimed the Japanese often came ashore, stole livestock and terrified the people.

A Japanese paper disputed the claim that it was murder ? instead referring to it as manslaughter. The paper claimed that some crew members from a Japanese whaling ship were sent ashore seeking fresh water, but the villagers refused and then attacked the sailors. The Japanese, defending themselves, killed a local high official.

The following year the conflicts increased in severity. A California newspaper reported that a Japanese fishing vessel from Nagasaki sought shelter from an approaching storm and landed its crew on the island. As soon as they landed, they were attacked by the islanders and the Japanese responded with guns and swords. The short battle resulted in the death of a Korean and several wounded and one severely wounded Japanese sailor.

The governor of Jeolla had a different version of the events in June. He claimed that 20-30 Japanese fishing vessels suddenly appeared to "steal the fish" and that they had tied up some Korean fishermen and thrown them into the water.

When other Korean fishermen tried to board the Japanese vessels, the Koreans were shot. Violent incidents with Japanese fishermen were increasing and the people were afraid. A petition to the government claimed that "tens of thousands of people on the island depend on fishing but have lost their livelihoods because of the Japanese." It ended by declaring, "The people's plight is pitiful."

In September, an English-language newspaper in Nagasaki, reported that disputes between the Jeju islanders and the "Japanese fishermen who make a practice of poaching on Corean [sic] fishing grounds" were common occurrences and that the latest conflict had resulted "in no less than 40y Japanese [being] killed or wounded."

Another English-language newspaper, this one in Yokohama, published an article translated...