Ambassadors from Japan to South Korea started when Toshikazu Maeda presented his credentials to the Korean government in 1965.
Title Diplomatic relations were established by the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea in 1965."Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea," excerpt, "It is confirmed that all treaties or agreements concluded between the Empire of Japan and the Empire of Korea on or before August 22, 1910 are already null and void." The current official title of this diplomat is "Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Korea."
History Japanese-Korean diplomatic relations were initially established during the Joseon period of Korean history. When the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1876 was negotiated, diplomatic relations were established on a basis of equality, i.e., "Chosen (Korea) being an independent State enjoys the same sovereign rights as does Japan."Korean Mission to the Conference on the Limitation of Armament, Washington, D.C., 1921-1922. (1922). Ministers from Japan were appointed in accordance with this treaty.Korean Mission, Diplomatic relations between the two neighboring nations were interrupted in 1905, when Empire of Japan made Joseon a protectorate.Korean Mission, ; excerpt, "Alleged Treaty, dated November 17, 1905." After Japan was defeated in World War II, Korea was liberated from Japan and gained its independence cited by the 1943 Cairo Declaration. When the first republic of Korea was born, Japan did not acknowledge diplomatic recognition on South Korea. In 1965, diplomatic relations were re-established, as Park Chung Hee and Hayato Ikeda held a summit together.Seung K. Ko. "South Korean-Japanese Relations since the 1965 Normalization Pacts," Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 6, No. 1 (1972), pp. 49-61.
List of heads of mission
Chargé d'affairs and Ministers Kuroda Kiyotaka, Special envoy, 1876-1877Chung, Henry. (1919). Hanabusa Yoshitada, appointed chargé d'affairs, November 25, 1877 S. Takesoye, appointed minister, January 7, 1883 K. Takahira, appointed chargé d'affairs, June 23, 1885 T. Kajiyama, appointed minister, April 17, 1891 M. Oishi, appointed minister, January 25, 1883 Ōtori Keisuke, appointed minister, September 28, 1893 Inoue Kaoru, appointed minister, October 26, 1894 Miura Goro, appointed minister, September 1, 1895 Komura Jutarō, appointed minister, October 19, 1895 Hara Takashi, appointed minister, July 7, 1896 M. Kato, appointed minister, February 24, 1897 Hayashi Gonsuke, appointed minister, June 25, 1899 Enjiro Yamaza, appointed chargé d'affairs, February 6, 1901 Hayashi Gonsuke, appointed chargé d'affairs, February 13, 1903
Ambassadors
Toshikazu Maeda, 1965-1966 Shiroshichi Kimura, 1966-1968 Masahide Kanayama, 1968-1972 Torao Ushiroku, 1972-1975 Akira Nishiyama, 1975-1977 Sunobe Ryoji, 1977-1981 Toshikazu Maeda, 1981-1984 Kiyohisa Mikanagi, 1984-1987 Shinichi Yanai, 1987-1990 Kenichi Yanagi, 1990-1992 Toshio Goto, 1992-1994 Shintaro Yamashita, 1994-1997Yonhap staff. (1996). Korea Annual. p. 99. Kazuo Ogoura, 1997-1999 Terusuke Terada, 2000-2003 Toshiyuki Takano, 2003-2005.Faiola, Anthony. "Islands Come Between South Korea and Japan Ordinance Intensifies Diplomatic Dispute," Washington Post. March 17, 2005. Shotaro Oshima, 2005-2007. "Koizumi's war shrine visit draws harsh criticism," Xinhua. August 16, 2006. Toshinori Shigeie, 2007-2010 Masatoshi Muto, 2010-20122010 "Masatoshi Muto Named New Japanese Ambassador to Korea," Chosun Ilbo, June 9, 2010. Koro Bessho, 2012-2016MOFA, 在外公館長名簿 (Diplomatic missions roster); retrieved 2013-5-9. Yasumasa Nagamine, 2016-2019 Koji Tomita, 2019-2021 Koichi Aiboshi, 2021–2024 Koichi Mizushima 2024-present
See also Japanese embassy in Seoul Japan-Korea Treaty of 1876 List of diplomatic missions in South Korea
Notes
References Halleck, Henry Wager. (1861). International law: or, Rules regulating the intercourse of states in peace and war New York: D. Van Nostrand. OCLC 852699 Korean Mission to the Conference on the Limitation of Armament, Washington, D.C., 1921-1922. (1922). Korea's Appeal to the Conference on Limitation of Armament. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. OCLC 12923609