History of Korea

Saito played beautifully his role as the lenient Japanese governor who felt the pangs of sympathy for the subjugated Koreans. In his attempt to rebuild the relationship between the master and slave, he opted for a position which was less extreme, and seemingly more friendly to the Koreans. Indeed, he took on the role of the big brother assuaging the fears and animosity of his little sibling. Although he might have publicly expressed sympathy for the Koreans, his true motivations betrayed the image of the benevolent ruler who gave trust to the colonized masses. His aim was one of efficiency. True, he did allow for more public participation for the Koreans by granting permissions for newpapers, and other public organizations, Saito believed that if the governing regime was more efficient in stamping out the flames of dissidence and maintaining the general order of the colony, these minor freedoms could be given to the masses. Moreover, he felt these freedoms were essential, in quelling the remnants of the riotous spirit of the March First Movement. Saito won over American missionaries with his fluent English and "protestations of good will". He courted the middle class nationalists through his policy of leniency and gained the trust of these groups to a certain extent. Overall he created a new atmosphere of tolerance and freedom in a land which was consumed by uprisings and social unrest in the not too distant past.

Colonial Period