However, many researchers of other countries including Japan, have sympathetic views stating that, although it is true that the Iljinhoe group played a role making Korea a lost country without foreseeing the Empire of Japan's intension of invasion, their theory of equal merger was totally different from Japan's theory of Korean annexation (Korea comes under the rule of Japan to become a colony by relinquishing sovereign power), so considering Japan discarded the Iljinhoe after the group served their purpose, 'the Iljinhoe were also victims and should not be totally blamed'.
ただ日本を含めた諸外国の研究者は、一進会が大日本帝国の侵略の意図を見抜けず韓国を亡国へと導く役割を果たしたことは事実であるが、対等合併論自体は日本の朝鮮併合論（朝鮮が日本に従属し、主権を放棄する形で植民地となる。）とは明らかに異なり、寧ろ併合後の日本が一進会すらも用済みとして切捨て、植民地統治を開始したことを踏まえて、「一進会もまた犠牲者であり、必ずしも責められるべき点ばかりではなかった」とする同情的意見も強い。