General Government of Korea (Cherry, Plum, and Chrysanthemum)

The Dominion of Korea was a designation of Korea from 1933 to 1949 when the country was an associated state of Japan. The Dominion was created by the Japanese-Korean Treaty of Independence Restoration, which was passed by the Congress of Japan in 1932. When Kim Gu was inaugurated president in 1933, he became the first Korean head of state since its annexation by Japan in 1910.

The Dominion government was in exile from 1942–1945, when Korea was under Japanese occupation. In 1949, the Dominion ended and Korea was proclaimed a republic.

Government
The Dominion had its own constitution, which remained effective until 1950, and was self-governing although foreign policy and defence affairs would be under the responsibility of Japan, and certain legislation required the approval of the Parliament of Japan.

It featured a parliamentary government with a Prime Minister as the head of government, an unicameral National Assembly, and a National Court, all composed entirely of Koreans. The Japanese Government represented by the office of Governor-General of Korea. Similar with Myomi Republic, Dominion of Korea has the Hangukhaebangdang / Korean Independence Party (한국해방당) as the dominating party from 1933.

History
As the Korean Independence Party and majority of ethnic Koreans took a part in Japanese Civil War in the side of Republican troops, the Republican Government of Japan reciprocated Koreans action with the talk about Korean independence restoration with the delegation of Korean residents in Japan on Kyoto in 14 July 1931.

Japan initially planned to grant the former royal family of Korea to re-established the Monarchy of Korea under Japanese protection. But, this plan rejected by the Shanghai-based Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and Hangukhaebangdang.

The talk continued in 27 August, but met with deadlock. Leader of Japanese Hangukhaebangdang, Lee Hyeong-shin give the ultimatum to the Japanese government for negotiated with the Provisional Government in Shanghai which regarded by many of Koreans as the centre of Korean independence movement.

With the establishment of Dominion of Manchukuo in January 1932, Shanghai Government finally sent their delegation to Minkyo, led by Kim Gu and Kim Kyu Sik to met President Yoshida. The negotiations lasted over two months in Osaka to formulate the Japanese-Korean Treaty of Independence Restoration on 13 March 1932.

The treaty guaranteed Korea to became the self-government dominion republic for 10-year period of peaceful transition to full independence. Korea allowed to have their own head of state, own government, own parliament, own constitution, the right for managed their own political and cultural affairs and an autonomous army while Japan still maintained its military bases on Korean territory, control of foreign affairs, and the right for imposing tariffs and quotas on Korean exports. The Dominion officially inaugurated on 1 March 1933.

A Constitutional Assembly was convened in Pyongyang on 4 November 1932. On 27 January 1933, the 1933 Constitution of the Republic of Korea was approved by the convention by a vote of 278 to 46. The constitution was approved by President Nagayama Yoshida on 23 March 1933 and ratified by the popular vote on 3 April 1933.

Kim Gu, the leader of unified Hangukhaebangdang elected as the first dominion’s President on 9 March 1933 and Hong Jin as the first Prime Minister on 14 March 1933.