Governor-General of Chōsen

Governor-General of Chōsen
朝鮮総督
Seal of the Government-General of Korea
Longest serving
Viscount Saitō Makoto

12 August 1919 – 14 April 1927
17 August 1929 – 17 June 1931
StatusAbolished
ResidenceOfficial residence of the Governor-General of Chōsen
SeatGovernment-General Building, Keijō
AppointerEmperor of Japan
PrecursorResident-General of Korea
Formation1 October 1910
First holderTerauchi Masatake
Final holderNobuyuki Abe
Abolished12 September 1945
Superseded bySoviet Civil Administration
United States Army Military Government in Korea

The Governor-General of Chōsen (Japanese: 朝鮮総督, romanized: Chōsen Sōtoku; Korean: 조선총독, romanized: Joseon Chongdok) was the chief administrator of the Government-General of Chōsen: a part of an administrative organ established by the Imperial government of Japan. The position existed 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.

The governor-general of Chōsen was seated in the General Government Building in Keijō after its completion in 1926. Pending its completion, the governor-general resided at Namsan.