In July 1907, Emperor Gojong, attempt to alert the international
community of Japan’s attempts to clolnize Korea, secretly dispatched
three emissaries to the Second Hague Conference on World Peace.
When the Japanese imperialists learned of this, Japan’s first
Resident-General Hirobumi ito, forced Emperor Gojong to abdicate the
throne and forced the ratification of the Japan-Korea Annexation
Treaty of 1907(a.k.a. Jeongmi joyak)
The treaty allowed a large number of Japanese officials to accelerate the scheme to fully colonize Korea by disarming and disbanding the Korean armed
forces and letting forests, mines, and railroads be turned over to Japanese management. Japan also offered loans of high interest rates to Korea by force
under the context of consolidating economic cooperation.
In an effort to crack down on the anti-Japanese enlightenment movement, Japan proclaimed the Newspaper Law on July 27, 1907 to strengthen the
censorship of the press and the publication and restrict the freedom of assembly and association.Having heard that Emperor Gojong was forcefully
dethroned and the Korean army was disbanded, Ahn discussed countermeasures with his colleagues. Ahn called for the “independence war strategy”
under which they mobilize a righteous army as part of the effective schemes to promote the anti-Japanese enlightenment movement and prepare for an
independence war. The major tactics of the strategy are as follows: