Seoul: Today marks a significant moment in Korean history as it commemorates the signing of the Protectorate Treaty between Japan and Korea's Joseon Dynasty in 1905. This treaty, which was imposed despite strong opposition from Korean Emperor Gojong, ultimately led to Japan's colonization of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945, bringing an end to Korea's ruling dynasties. According to Yonhap News Agency, the treaty severely curtailed Korea's sovereignty by stripping it of the rights to sign international agreements. Furthermore, a Japanese resident-general was appointed to oversee all diplomatic relations on the peninsula, effectively placing Korea's foreign affairs under Japanese control. In a separate historical event, in 2006, South Korea signed a significant agreement with Vietnam to donate US$35 million for the construction of a hospital in central Vietnam. This financial pledge, initially made during President Roh Moo-hyun's state visit to Hanoi in 2004, marked Seoul's largest-ever overseas grant, reflecting the strengthening of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Vietnam. Additionally, in 2015, North Korea repatriated a 48-year-old South Korean man who had crossed into the North from China earlier that year. He was returned to the South through Panmunjom, the truce village located on the inter-Korean border, highlighting ongoing interactions across the heavily fortified divide.