Japan and Korea before 1910
It is important for Americans with Korean and Chinese acquaintances to learn more about the history of East Asia in these centuries:
The process of proto-industrialization grew inline with advances in the agricultural sector. In both Korea and Japan, resources for investment - both human and physical - from the agricultural sector were mobilized for the development of the manufacturing sector (Francks 1999:10). However, in Korea, this occurred mostly in the 20th century. Further, Japan underwent a "Green Revolution" in the last quarter of the 19th century, introducing new agricultural techniques, fertilizers, and high-yielding seed varieties (p.30). Some of these innovations were ported from Japan to Korea, but here too only in the 20th century.
Advances in agriculture not only lead to accumulation of capital but also contributed to the general development and integration of markets (Tipton 1998:ch.3). This, in turn, affects the way in which individuals interact with each other. As Clark points out (2007: 262), "by 1800 Japan was the closest of the Asian economies to England in terms of social characteristics". A significant increase in village schools occurred during the 19th century, with thousand of them popping up across the country (Nakamura in Clark 2007: 263). As a result, "Literacy rate for men estimated at 40-50 percent by the time of the Meiji Restoration of 1868, and a rate for women of 13-17% percent" (Passin in Clark 2007: 263). In Korea, male literacy in seventeenth century Korea was "probably high by premodern standards, and most likely increased in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries" (Seth 2006: 134). Still, while not much data is available about Korean literacy rates at the end of the 19th century, later records from the early period of the Japanese occupation (1910 and onwards) imply a significantly lower number of schools and overall literacy levels in Korea (Chung 2006: 114).
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Confucianism influenced many aspects of Japanese society, including moral code of the Samurai class (Tai 1989: 75). However, due to the diversity of its influence and the subsequent development outcomes (in places such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan) it cannot be considered a substantive factor. In addition, as Fogel points out (1996: 430-434), while "Confucianism enjoyed a significant rejuvenation" during the Tokugawa era, "Korea, China, and Vietnam were far more profoundly ʻConfucianʼ social orders than Japan". Indeed, Chung points out that "Koreans were perhaps even more steeped" in Confucian traditions than the Chinese themselves. He asserts that this adversely affected Koreaʼs economic growth by discouraging economic aspiration, de- emphasising the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship, undervaluing work (as opposed to learning for the sake of learning), and served as a disincentive for capital formation (1989:160-161).http://www.drorism.com/2010/12/the-19th-century-origins-of-japanese-and-korean-development.html
Without help from Japan, Korea looked doomed. The king and noblemen in Korea had no ability and no intention to modernize or westernize its society and industry to cope with the Russian Empire, European powers, and the US. But Japan was determined to cope with those invading powers.
In this context, the relationship between the two countries should be reviewed.
At the end of the 16th century, the Bunroku-Keicho War broke off the relationship between Korea and Japan. However, the Tokugawa shogunate started trading again with Korea by concluding the Giyu treaty with the So clan of Tsushima Island in 1609 and established a relationship of almost equality through mutual visits of Korean messengers. Tsushinshi were sent from the Korean side to pay homage to a new shogun or to celebrate the birth of an heir to a shogun. Korean envoys were provided with the same role as an envoy to bring tributes to a Chinese emperor or was used for showing the prestige of Tokugawa shogunate.
Korea in the 19th century: A severe conflict between at court between Heungseon Daewongun, the biological father of Gojong (king of the Joseon Dynasty), and Gojong's wife Queen Min continued. In 1882, Daewongun was seized by the Qing Dynasty China troops, and confined in Tianjin City (Jingo Incident). The Min family including Queen Min assumed authority, but relations between Japan and Korea did not turn better. Queen Min were changing their policies from pro-Japanese to Qing Dynasty China. In the Sino-Japanese War, When Japan beat China in 1895, the Treaty of Shimonoseki was concluded, and removed China's sovereignty Korea.[51] The Korea moved closer to Russia. Japan became alarmed when Russia enhanced its grip and influence over the Korean peninsula by acquiring vital state assets such as the mining rights in Chongsong and Gyeongwon sold off by Queen Min, timber rights in the north, and tariff rights, and purchased back and restored many of these. (The assassination of Queen Min occurred during this period).From a Japanese point of view, Koreans who had been subject to Chinese empires for centuries would have been easily conquered by Russians if they had been left alone.
So, the Empire of Japan had to work on Korean leaders to persuade them to tie up with Japan and defend East Asia from the Russian Empire. But Korea was not in a state where it could act like a civilized nation. The Korean society was split between poor and illiterate farmers and the irresponsible Confucius-addicted noble class. They were virtually waiting for colonization by Russians if not by the UK or France.
Korea had once enjoyed great culture but they had been spoiled by influence of rotten Chinese dynasties over centuries. They had no resources, unlike Japan, needed for modernization and Westernization. They needed Japanese interference which however they could not make the best use of.
That is mostly why the Korean Empire had to be annexed to the Empire of Japan in 1910.
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Mat 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.