| Post: | Governor-General |
| Body: | Japanese: Chōsen |
| Native Name: | Japanese: 朝鮮総督 |
| Insignia: | Goshichi no kiri.svg |
| Insigniacaption: | Seal of the Government-General of Korea |
| Status: | Abolished |
| Residence: | Official residence of the Governor-General of Chōsen |
| Seat: | Government-General Building, Keijō |
| Appointer: | Emperor of Japan |
| Precursor: | Resident-General of Korea |
| Formation: | 1 October 1910 |
| First: | Terauchi Masatake |
| Last: | Nobuyuki Abe |
| Abolished: | 12 September 1945 |
| Superseded By: | Soviet Civil Administration United States Army Military Government in Korea |
The Governor-General of Chōsen (Japanese: 朝鮮総督|Chōsen Sōtoku; Korean: 조선총독|Joseon Chongdok) was the chief administrator of the Government-General of Chōsen (Japanese: 朝鮮総督府|Chōsen Sōtokufu; Korean: 조선총독부|Joseon Chongdokbu) (a part of an administrative organ established by the Imperial government of Japan) from 1910 to 1945.
The governor-general of Chōsen was established shortly after the Korean Empire was formally annexed by the Empire of Japan in the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910 to replace the title of Resident-General. The governor-general of Chōsen was appointed from Tokyo and accountable to the emperor of Japan. The governor-general of Chōsen was responsible for the administrate ministry of the Chōsen regionin, including infrastructure, culture, justice, censorship, and the suppression of the Korean independence movement.[1] [2] The governor-general of Chōsen was seated in the General Government Building in Keijō after its completion in 1926.[3] Pending its completion, the Governor-General resided at Namsan.[4]
After the annexation of Korea to Japan in 1910, the office of resident-general was replaced by that of governor-general. However, the position was unique in among Japan's external possessions, as the governor-general had sweeping plenipotentiary powers, and the position also entailed judicial oversight and some legislative powers. As of 1944, the governor-general did not command the Imperial Japanese Army or Imperial Japanese Navy units stationed in Chōsen.[5] Given the powers and levels of responsibility, only ranking full generals in the Imperial Japanese Army were selected for the post, with the sole exception of Viscount Saitō, a retired admiral.
The governor-general of Chōsen had a police organisation, which may have been partly involved in having Korean women working as comfort women.[6]
After the Japanese defeat in World War II, the Korean Peninsula was administered by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea. The governor-general building was demolished during administration of South Korean president Kim Yong-Sam on August 15, 1995.
Four individuals who held the position of the governor-general of Chōsen also held the office of the prime minister of Japan. Three, Terauchi Masatake, Saitō Makoto, and Koiso Kuniaki, were governors-general before becoming prime ministers. One, Abe Nobuyuki, was prime minister before his appointment as governor-general. Ugaki Kazushige was named prime minister-designate, but he could not take office because he was unable to form a cabinet.
In addition, Resident-General Itō Hirobumi served four terms as prime minister prior to his appointment to Korea.
See main article: List of Japanese governors-general of Korea.
After the annexation of Korea to Japan in 1910, the office of resident general was replaced by that of governor-general.