annexation. Rather, it simply acts as a guise to 'justify its acts of aggression' .
             Nevertheless, whether or not the eventual annexation of Japan was truly a defensive measure, there is little doubt that Japan's previous action in Korea (that effectively gave birth to the annexation) had, to some degree, defensive ambition. Arguably, Japan simply wanted Korea to be organised sufficiently so as to deter would-be aggressors. Indeed, before 1894, Japanese policy had been to assist Korea in undertaking a self-strengthening program to maintain its independence, and had aspired to do nothing greater. This policy probably failed because of a lack of commitment on the part of both parties and an unwillingness by the Japanese to challenge China's dominant position in Korea. Nevertheless, this was the initial Japanese policy in Korea, and it only changed after the outbreak of the Tonghak rebellion in 1894. This goes some way to suggesting that Japanese involvement in Korea genuinely came about because of security fears.
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