LEXICAL AND EDUCATIONAL LANGUAGE POLICY UNDER JAPANESE COLONIAL RULE IN KOREA (1910–1945): A HISTORICAL-SOCIOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

B a c k g r o u n d . From 1910 to 1945, Korea was under Japanese colonial rule, a period marked not only by political and
economic control but also by cultural and linguistic suppression. The Japanese government implemented assimilation policies
aimed at erasing Korean national identity, and language was a primary target. The use of the Korean language in schools,
publications, and official settings was progressively restricted, and Japanese was enforced as the language of instruction and
administration. This colonization period left a lasting impact on the structure, usage, and perception of the Korean language.
Objectives. This study aims to examine the effects of Japanese colonial policies on the Korean language, focusing on three
main areas: the suppression of Korean in public life, the influence of Japanese on Korean vocabulary and linguistic habits, and the
post-liberation efforts to restore and purify the national language. The study also investigates how language functioned as both a
tool of colonization and a medium of resistance.

M e t h o d s . The research is based on a review of historical documents, educational policies, linguistic records, and previous
scholarly works on Korean language history. Comparative analysis is used to trace the lexical and grammatical changes influenced
by Japanese. The study also considers sociolinguistic responses during and after the occupation, including underground
education efforts and post-1945 language reforms in South and North Korea.

R e s u l t s . The findings indicate that Japanese colonial rule led to a significant reduction in the public and educational use
of Korean, introduced a considerable number of Japanese loanwords, and created long-term effects on Korean linguistic identity.
Despite the suppression, Koreans preserved their language through informal means and later engaged in national efforts to revive
Hangul and remove colonial remnants. These outcomes highlight the resilience of linguistic identity and the powerful role of
language in cultural preservation and post-colonial recovery.

C o n c l u s i o n s . The linguistic oppression during the Japanese colonial period reveals the profound connection between
language and national identity. The Korean language served not only as a target of colonization but also as a symbol of resistance
and a core element of post-liberation cultural recovery. This study highlights the role of language policy as a tool of political control
and the long-term effects of colonial interference on linguistic communities.