Assassination of Prince Ito in Japan (1909 A. D) - World History TimelinesAt the close of Igor he again, though in an unofficial capacity, visited Europe and the United States; and in England he was created a G.C.B. After the RussoJapanese War (1905) he was appointed resident general in Korea, and in that capacity he was responsible for the steps taken to increase Japanese influence in that country. In September 1907 he was advanced to the rank of prince. He retired from his post in Korea in July 1909, and became president of the Privy Council in Japan. A Korean nationalist assassinated Hirobumi Ito on October 26th 1909. Ito was considered the most important Japanese public figure in the late 19th century. He was considered the man most responsible for the modernization of Japan. The assassin was protesting the Japanese attempt to control Korea and the assassination gave the Japanese a convenient pretext for the outright annexation of the peninsula.