철도부설권과 러시아의 동아시아 정책

Abstract

Russia's East Asia strategies that were established with the construction of Trans-Siberian Railway in 1891 engendered the issue of railroad construction rights between England and Japan in China and the Korean Peninsula. For Russia, Manchuria was an important strategic point as the foundation to acquire the privilege to make a voice in East Asia and the footstep to stretch its powers to Mainland China. For England, it was an economic and territorial subject of imperial plunder that could also suppress Russia's southbound expansion. England began constructing Gyeongbong Railroad in China using its own technology and capital in 1887 to enter Manchuria. Russia obtained Dongcheong Railroad, its start point of expansion to East Asia with political and strategic values as a means of transportation to Vladivostok for the armed forces, by signing a secret alliance treaty with China on June 3, 1896. On March 27, 1898, it obtained Lushun-Dalian Territory and an ice-free harbor. Also, Russia acquired the privilege to construct East-China Railroad's south bay line by signing England-Russia Railroad Treaty in April 1898 and Additional Terms for Guangdong Territorial Treaty in May 1898. Thus, Russia made the greatest accomplishment to stretch out to South Manchuria. Threatened by Russia's advance to East Asia through the Siberian Railroad, Japan decided to pursue the rights to construct a railroad in the Korean Peninsula as its start point to the Asian Continent. Eventually, it obtained the rights to construct Gyeongbu Railroad from the Korean government. It also purchased the rights to construct Gyeongin Railroad from America's Morse to dominate railroad construction in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. Russia also attempted to acquire rights to construct railroad in the Korean Peninsula, but it failed because of the conflicts between Vitte, who wanted independent rights for Russia, and Foreign Affairs Minister Muraviyov, who wanted indirect rights through a French company. This means that Russia's East Asia policies in the late 19th Century were not supported by every politician and its advance to East Asia through the rights to construct railroads was not completely successful.