Truth of Annexation of Korea to Japan
The Empire of Japan did not occupy and colonize Korea by force before WWII.
The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910, also known as the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty, was made by representatives of the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire in 1910. Negotiations were concluded on August 20, 1910. The document was signed on August 22, 1910.Today most of experts in the world agree that this treaty was valid as an international treaty.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan%E2%80%93Korea_Treaty_of_1910
Those who support legality of this Treaty mainly refer to the Elements of International Law, first published in 1836, worked out by by Henry Wheaton.
Most of experts think that it was a common practice around 1900 that a nation that could not sustain itself economically and diplomatically was absorbed by another nation near it that had more influences, national resources, and administrative capability. But of course, most of politicians in South Korea and North Korea today deny validity of the Treaty.
So, there are only few experts and politicians in Europe, the US, and other regions who doubt validity of the Treaty based on which the Empire of Japan annexed Korea.
However, this annexation can be regarded as a starting point of the troubled history of the Empire of Japan toward the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941.
First of all, you have to understand that the Kingdom of Korea was a failed kingdom in East Asia while the Empire of Japan succeeded in its industrialization, modernization, and Westernization in the late 19th century.
The Kingdom of Korea of course tried to carry out some reformation of its old social system and economy, while the Empire of Japan financially supported the Kingdom. However, the Korean elite just enriched themselves, while a majority of its people, namely farmers, could not even read and write.
The royal government of the Kingdom had been freed from the centuries-long control by China as a result of the Japanese-Sino War (1894-1895), but it came under a strong influence of the Russian Empire. It promoted a tense standoff between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire, leading to the Japanese-Russo War (1904-1905).
After the Japanese-Russo War, some Korean elites started to think about annexation to the Empire of Japan as they knew reformation of Korea became impossible due to internal conflicts among Koreans and a desperately wide gap between the elites and farmers in Korea.
Some Japanese elites were against the idea of taking Korea under direct control. It was expected that Tokyo had to use a huge amount of money to improve social and industrial condition in Korea.
However, as the Russian Empire continued to extend its influence to Manchuria and the Korean Peninsula, the Imperial Government finally decided to annex Korea to the Empire. So, the largest motivation for Tokyo to integrate Korea into the Empire was the military reason of stopping the Russian influence from coming down to Japan over the Korean Peninsula and the Sea of Japan.
But as the Empire advanced to Korea, Manchuria became its front line. To secure Korea, the Empire of Japan needed to secure Manchuria. So, the Imperial military forces stationed in Korea and Manchu carried out establishment of Manchukuo, a nominally independent empire of Manchus, while the government in Tokyo had no such a plan. Eventually, the venturous act by the Imperial military was authorized by the Imperial Government of Japan. Japanese generals and bureaucrats took leading positions in the Manchuria Government.
However, to secure Manchukuo, the Imperial troops had to face military challenges by Chinese troops and warlords around Manchkuo. As they were attacked so often and badly, finally Imperial troops launched a full-scale military campaign in the northern region of China, that is in the south of Manchukuo.
Then, Chiang Kaishek, then Chinese President, started to attack international super-rich city Shanghai some Japanese Marine battalion was defending with some Western troops. This battle around Shanghai led to the battle in Nanjing, the then Chinese capital, as the Imperial forces destroyed hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops. Chiang Kaishek and other Chinese leaders fled further inland but continued to fight Imperial troops and divisions being dispatched from Japan proper and coming down from the front line in northern China.
This great and hot movement in the Chinese Continent alarmed the US Government. They decided to support the government led by Chiang Kaishek in various ways, including sending voluntary air squadrons to fight Japanese planes in the Chinese continent.
And as Hitler attacked Britain, President Roosevelt wanted to join the war in Europe to help the UK. So, Roosevelt decided to drive the Imperial Government into corner and have it start war against the US, since the Empire of Japan and Germany had built an alliance. The US Government stopped export of crude oil to the Empire whose major source of navy fuel was crude oil from the US. Finally, the Imperial Government launched an attack at the American naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in December 1941.
So, the annexation of Korea resulted in the Japan-US war as part of WWII.
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Mat 8:27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!