Korea under Japanese rule (Cherry, Plum, and Chrysanthemum)

Korea under Japanese rule is the period between 1905 and 1949 in which Korea was a dependency of Japan, after the Imperial Japanese victory over the Russian Empire on the Russo-Japanese War in 1905 and the subsequent Treaty of Portsmouth divided Korea to respective spheres of influences of both Russia and Japan along the 38th parallel north.

The Empire of Japan and its successor state, Republic of Japan, ruled the southern part of Korea until 1931 where the Republic of Japan launched a military campaign to oust the Chinese from northern Korea. The campaign was successful and Korea was united under single administration as Japan's dependency until 1949. In 1949, Korea regained its sovereignty and declared an independent republic.