Japan is on a quest to civilize the savages of Korea. This pathetic attempt by Russia to stop that sacred mission truly shows what criminals he and his government are.
OOC: Fairly certain Fry is Australia.
If you are going to post something In Character (IC) then you simply post in the thread, using a flag if you wish to help others know what nation is speaking. If you are saying something Out Of Character (OOC) then you must add the tag "OOC:" before your post. If you do not do so, your post WILL be taken as IC, and can be used against you by other players in IC.
Hmm, I asked him, and he didn't reply. Seemed as if he was just making a IC post for their independence. If he is, I'll just wait for Poland. :3
Empire of Korea
The Gwangmu Emperor wishes to counter the words of the vile Japanese! Firstly, the Gaspin Coup was instigated by Japanese agents; the hypocrisy in using it as an example of civil unrest to justify invasion is beyond absurd. Secondly, the each of these incidents happened well before the declaration of the Empire of Korea. Since the proclamation of the new, independent state, the peninsula has launched into new levels of social and technological advance.
I appeal, not only to the Americans who have expressed a desire to defend our sovereignty, nor only the Russians who have done so much to support the development of the Empire, but to all civilised nations.
People of Korea! The Japanese are no longer content with assassinating our monarchs and meddling behind the scenes. Today they declared their base desire - to turn our land into a vassal state, so soon after we have established our independence! Rise up, and fight the invaders!
The Russians claim to care about the Koreans and their interests as a a people, yet they are blockading their shores, preventing any sort of supplies from reaching the villages. It is in my opinion that food, water and medical supplies are more important than a slight advantage in warfare, which is why Japan has pledged not to interfere in any shipping, even letting French shipments arrive in Korea. If you cared so much about about the people won't you at least allow the essential supplies to life reach them, or are you to cold-hearted and selfish to allow that?
The Russian Empire claims that it is answering a call to aid the Koreans, yet an excerpt from the New York Times states that Russia is attempting to re-establish its dominance over the Korean peninsula. As its supression of many other minorities has shown, this could only lead to cultural suffocation and economic exploitation. After repeteadley attempting to take the moral high ground, it appears as if the Russian Empire has been exposed for what it really is: just another imperial European power trying to assert its dominance.
The only reason the French supplies made it past the Russian blockade to Inchon is because there was in fact, no Russian blockade at the time. Also, the Japanese Empire would be happy to allow food supplies into Korea, as long as it would be allowed to be searched by Japanese forces.
So, the Japanese government bases it's policies on what a newspaper writes? Or, more worryingly, did the Japanese forces in Korea set up a propaganda campaign to try to make the newspaper, and the world believe that Japan invaded Korea to save the Koreans from an hypothetical oppression in the future (as it had not yet supposedly happened, according to Japanese version of events)...
And such words by the Japanese government, speaking of oppressed minorities, when the island of Formosa, obtained from China in yet another war of Japanese aggression, stands as a testament to the contrary? Chinese refugees from Formosa, who fled towards French concessions in China, paint a vivid account of the appalling repression and exploitation undertaken by Japanese forces under the guise of pacification, against civilian and rebel alike? For a country which believes itself to be civilized, and with a history of culture and arts, one would expect a lot more.