Hello wolvies
So we are charging off into Tartary again? It would be great if "The
Land of the Morning Calm" could really be that.
I'll start with some of the personalities involved with the move to
independence in late 19th century. You may want to include certain
nations and political movements as well as individuals as
"personalities" since the whole world seemed to want a piece of Korea
at the time.
The cast of characters could seemingly go on forever, but I will try
to isolate some of the more important. If I were to write even a
remotely complete history of the time, - - let's not even think of
that - -
Just some players and brief notes about their roles.
First we do the nations. Not that you asked for them, but they do
provide a base from which to launch into information about
individuals.
Russia
France
Japan
Great Britain
United States
United States - In 1866 the American ship General Sherman entered into
Korean waters with the objective of forcing the Korean government to
enter into commercial relations. The vessel reached the Taedonggang
river with a cargo of goods and proceeded to P'yongyang, where they
used force in dealing with Korean soldiers and civilians. The Koreans
retaliated by burning the ship.
The United States was determined it was going to force Korea to open
its ports. In 1871 Washington ordered its Asian fleet to invade
Kanghwado island. The Koreans defeated the Americans handily and the
US fleet retreated from Korean waters.
France - Admiral Pierre G. Rose, led his squadron to waters off
Kanghwado island on October 13, 1866 and landed troops on the island.
This was the result of a massacre of Korean Catholics The Koreans
defeated the French handily and the French fleet was forced to
withdraw.
But to cut to the chase, these victories were only temporary and in
the meantime Japan had invaded and reached a settlement whereby Korea
had to pay Japan reparations and allow the stationing of Japanese
troops in the capital to protect the Japanese legation. They did not
defeat the Japanese handily.
To reinstate Chinese control, China advised Korea to conclude a series
of commercial treaties with European powers and America. The Korea-US
treaty of commerce was concluded on May 22 and signed on June 6, 1882.
Korea signed the revised treaties with Great Britain and Germany in
Hanyang on November 26, 1883. The two new treaties, together with the
first international treaty concluded with Japan, were most
disadvantageous to Korea. In addition, a treaty of commerce was
signed with Russia on June 25, 1884, and was followed on August 8,
1888, by the conclusion of another agreement governing Korean-Russian
overland commerce. A treaty of commerce with France was signed on
June 4, 1886.
About this time, China's Li Hung-chang sent his emissaries, P.G.
Moellendorff and Ma Chien-chung to Korea to carry out the work of
reorganizing Korea's diplomacy. Yuan Shih-kai of Qing took command of
the Korean army and provided it with Chinese-style training. I hope
you notice how I'm sneaking in the names of individuals in here rather
than making a separate list.
Now while Moellendorff was there supposedly to represent the Chinese,
he also tried to engineer a secret treaty of protection between Russia
and Korea. His action caused the British to occupy Komundo island
(Port Hamilton) in order to check the Russian advance. Korea was now
swimming in a tide of international rivalries.
After exacting a pledge from Russia through Li Hung-chang that it
would not attempt an occupation of any part of Korea, Great Britain
withdrew its fleet from the port on February 27, 1887.
Now we move inside Korea proper where a group of reformists denounced
the leading politicians for their reliance on foreign influence and
tried to introduce reforms that would improve social conditions,
enrich the people and strengthen national power. The main concern of
Kim Ok-kyun (1851-1894) and Hong Yong-shik (1855-1884) was to set
reform in motion. The Queen Min's heavy reliance on China had
resulted in the occupation of the capital by Chinese forces.
When the war broke out between China and France (1883-1885), Japanese
Minister to Korea Takezoe Shinichiro, approached the reformists about
plans for a coup d'etat. Although China had withdrawn some of its
forces from Korea, the Chinese maintained superior military strength
over the Japanese.
The Japanese Minister had some success. The reformists got together
and planned assassinations of politicians who were pro-China at a
reception to be given on December 4, 1884. The reformists called on
King Kojong (r. 1863-1907) at the royal palace and asked for his
sanction for their plan. On December 5, they assassinated military
commanders and ministers inside the palace on their way to a royal
audience. The reformists were then forced to flee. Kim Ok-kyun and
So Chae-p'il (1866-1951) escaped to Inch'on where they boarded a
Japanese ship for safety in Japan.
Japan settled things with China by means of the Tianjin Treaty, in
which the two sides agreed to: (1) pull their forces out of Korea
simultaneously; (2) not send military instructors to train the Korean
army; and (3) let the other side know beforehand should one decide to
send troops to Korea. However, the Chinese were still around. Yuan
Shih-kai remained in Seoul to interfere in Korea's internal affairs,
while Japan was ready to pounce at the slightest provocation. Sort of
like our researchers on an interesting question.
Time passed and the conservative government had been made to accept
the reform proposals of the the Tonghak rebels in Chonju in 1894. This
struggle was utilized by the Japanese army for its own purposes. In
the course of the Sino-Japanese War, Japan forced Korea to carry out
reform by armed threat and expelled the pro-China politicians from the
government. The peace treaty ending the Sino-Japanese War was
concluded on April 17, 1895, at Shimonoseki, Japan. China's influence
weakened and the Korean government was forcibly brought into Japan's
design of Asian expansion.
The Japanese aggression became stronger and Queen Min collaborated
with Russian Minister Karl Waeber to force Kim Hong-jip to reorganize
his cabinet, and pro-Russian figures such as Yi Pom-jin were given
high positions.
After that reorganization, Japanese Minister Miura Goro along with
others in the Japanese government decided to assassinate Queen Min
because she was again making secret overtures to China. They did so
and burned her body.
After the killing of Queen Min, there were a series of troubles (a
whole book of its own) which finally led to King Kojong and the Crown
Prince taking refuge in the Russian Legation. Japanese Minister
Komura called on Russian Minister Speyer at the Russian Legation and
demanded that the King return to the royal palace, but King Kojong
refused.
Later that year, a Korean delegation led by Min Yong-hwan and Yun
Ch'i-ho completed a treaty in Russia with Foreign Minister Lobanoff,
agreeing that Russia would protect the Korean monarch and, if
necessary, would send troops to Korea. The Koreans would be subject
to the guidance of the Russian minister. With the Korean King in
custody, Russia lost no time in implementing the more aggressive
aspects of the treaty.
The United States, Great Britain, France, Germany and Japan competed
for concessions. From its Russian hide out, the Korean government
granted unconditional concessions without any stipulations. Korea lost
most of its properties to foreign powers.
So Chae-p'il (Philip Jaisohn) removed in 1884 from asylum in Japan to
America returned to Korea in 1896. He was made a consultant to the
Privy Council. He founded "The Independent" a newspaper published in
Korean only which called for "the nation's all-out effort to
strengthen its autonomy and promote the public good." His newspaper
brought to light the urgent needs of the day which included
solidifying national sovereignty and promoting civil rights.
He voiced very strong opposition to the government's delegation of its
financial and military authority to Russia. Speaking at a mass rally
in the heart of Hanyang, he asked the government to dismiss the
Russian military and financial consultants. Syngman Rhee and other
speakers who took the rostrum at the same rally also drew enthusiastic
response from the crowds.
The people condenmed the King's flight to the Russian Legation and the
continued granting of economic concessions to foreigners. As a
result of these pressures, Kojong moved out of the Russian legation to
Kyong-un-gung palace in February 1897. He proclaimed to the nation
and the world the establishment of an independent "Taehan (Great Han)
Empire" in October.
I remember him well since I counted his name twice in the answer about
regnal names :)
Sunjong became the last Choson king. Sunjong was a powerless puppet,
completely controlled by the Japanese. In August 1910 he had to
endorse the infamous declaration that ended both Korean independence
as well as the Choson dynasty’s 518-year history.
After Sunjong’s death, his half-brother Yi Un, the seventh son of King
Kojong given birth by one of the old king’s concubines in 1897, became
the new head of the ex-royal dynasty. He retained this position until
his own death in 1970. But that's another story.
I hope the above gives you an idea about some of the more important
players during the latter days of 19th century Korea. There are
virtually hundreds more which could be listed, with each and every one
of them having some important roll to play in Korean independence.
The relationship of Korea to China was feudal in nature with the
Chinese Emperor in essence granting Kingship to Korean rulers. A
parallel could be found in the Roman Empire where regional kings ruled
at the pleasure of the Emperors or in the Middle Ages when certain
kings reigned only at the pleasure of the Holy Roman Emperor.
This relationship of "vassel to Lord" began in 1392 and at the time
Korea did not have to look past China for foreign contact. At the
time a pro-Ming policy was needed to confer legitimacy on the new
Choson regime.
This relationship also allowed for cultural borrowing and economic
exchange for a Korea which was quite marginal. Korea and China
maintained their version of the international order and a vassal
relationship through the diplomatic practice of Jogong (paying
tribute to China). Jogong indisputably reflects the Sino-centric
mediaeval world order. Not only did the Korean peninsula, though a
peripheral nation, take pride in being "little China," it was also
recognized as such internationally.
Your question asks: "In this I need to understand how they viewed
their 'man' in Korea, and
whether his title was seen the same in Seoul as in Peking." In this
type of feudal relationship, the titles of kings who were subordinate
to emperors were in essence 'granted' by the emperor even if such
titles had been in existence prior to the relationship. So the title
of the kings of Korea should be the same in the Chinese capital as
they were in the Korean capital.
Now if I have misunderstood your question, please let me know. But as
far as I can find, the Korean king 'was' the Chinese representitive in
Korea, or at least supposed to be ( technically ). I have found no
other references to Chinese sent to Korea to handle or supervise
things called any name other than emissaries or delegations. Some of
these emmisaries carried titles of their own either from China or
because they had married into the Korean royal family, in which case
their titles may likely be Korean in origin.
Search - Google
Terms - korean history, korean royal titles, chinese royal titles,
chinese ambassadorial titles, people of late 19th century korean
history, chinese feudalism, korea, china, japan
websites used
"The Logic Historical Understanding of Korean Culture"
( http://www.changbi.com/2000/English/limhyoungtaek_2.htm )
"Edutraveller.com :: Japan | Travel | History"
( http://www.edutraveller.com/travel/history.html )
"KoreaTimes : [The Dawn of Modern Korea] They Had a Royal Time"
( http://www.hankooki.com/kt_culture/200209/ t2002091917065046110.htm
)
"Country - S. Korea "
( http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/korea/about_korea.htm )
"Seoul Searching - Korea has a rich history of..."
( http://www.seoulsearching.com/culture/history.html )
"Welcome to Radio Korea International"
( http://rki.kbs.co.kr/src/history/hok_s72.asp ) - This is a detailed
history and one of my best sources. Nicely illustrated and you can
find many more names of influencial people.
"About Korea"
( http://www.geocities.com/jazlee_77/AboutKorea.html )
Plus a couple of sites I clicked into and out of without remembering
what they were.
If I may clarify anything, please let me know.
Cheers
Digsalot |
