Korean workers were paid far less than Japanese workers, even when they performed the same task.
As part of the empire-wide goal of financial self-sufficiency and war planning, Japan attempted to strengthen the Korean economy in 1931, the year of the Manchurian Incident, with the appointment of General Ugaki Kazushige as the new Governor-General. More ports, railroads, and manufacturing facilities were constructed, with an emphasis on sectors like armaments and chemical plants.