Pak Chesoon

Pak Chesun (; 7 December 1858 – 20 June 1916) was a Korean politician and diplomat during the late Joseon period. His art name was P'yŏngjae . In modern South Korea, he is regarded as one of the Five Eulsa Traitors who betrayed the country into Japanese domination in 1905.

Biography Pak was born in Yongin, outside Seoul where his father was a minor government official and supporter of Kim Yunsik. His family's clan name is .

On October 16, 1910, Pak received the kazoku peerage title of Viscount (shishaku) from the Japanese government and a seat in the House of Peers of the Diet of Japan.

The treaty was very unpopular among the Korean public, leading to attacks on the ministers who signed it. The five ministers were named the "Five Eulsa Traitors". On December 6, 1910, one Korean Army soldier attempted to shoot Pak as he was entering the palace. Pak fled to the Japanese Legation, where he blamed Deputy Ambassador Hayashi Gonsuke for "making [him] a traitor to [his] own country". Pak then attempted to cut his own throat, but was stopped by Hayashi. Pak was subsequently sent to a hospital for treatment.

He later served on the Central Advisory Institute of the Government-General of Korea. Under the Special law to redeem pro-Japanese collaborators' property enacted in 2005, the property of the descendants of nine people who had collaborated when Korea was annexed by Japan was confiscated by the South Korean government.

Honours

Order of the Taegeuk 3rd Class on 22 April 1900

Royal Order of the Lion 3rd Class on 26 October 1901