포츠머스조약 체결과 한국문제에 대한 러시아의 시선－러시아 국방위원회 회의록을 중심으로－

Abstract

Russia's construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway was a search for an exit toward Russia's floating ports. If Russia advanced into Korea's Yeongheung Bay, it could also guarantee the defense of Vladivostok, which was threatened by Japan. By concluding a friendship agreement with Japan, Russia worked to acquire a floating port on the Pacific coast through peaceful means. As a result, right up until the Russo-Japanese War, Russia primarily pursued a foreign policy aimed at maintaining Korea's independence. Immediately after the signing of the Portsmouth Treaty, Russia proceeded with its interpretation of the treaty as follows. Looking at the Korean issue during the Russian National Defense Committee meeting on September 21, 1905, Russia interpreted Article 2 of the Portsmouth Treaty, ‘Restrictions on military actions in Korea’, as not including the entire South Usuriysk region. Additionally, when Japan refused to include its military personnel in Korea into the Portsmouth Treaty, Russia decided to maintain a sufficient number of troops in the South Usuriysk region. Above all, Plenipotentiary Witte interpreted the Treaty of Portsmouth to say that since Korea's independence was an international issue, Korea's independence could not be undermined by a treaty between Russia and Japan. Therefore, the Russian National Defense Commission judged that Korea's independence was not abolished by the Treaty of Portsmouth and would still be recognized by the Russian government, and instructed the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to confirm the views of other powers on Korea's independence through negotiations. In the end, Russia and Japan engaged in a fierce diplomatic and public opinion war in the process of concluding the Portsmouth Treaty, and Japan retreated significantly from the initially set goals of compensation and territorial acquisition. In the background, first, Japan was pushed aside by Western public opinion and was unable to insist on both territory and compensation during the Portsmouth Conference. Second, Russian Plenipotentiary Witte pursued and succeeded in the strategy of asking Japan to choose between compensation and territory. However, after the signing of the Portsmouth Treaty, Russia and Japan had different interpretations of the Korean issue. Russia thought it had maintained Korea's independence. On the other hand, Japan judged that it had succeeded in making Korea a protectorate.