Gojong (Joseon)

Gojong 1st emperor of the Joseon Dynasty
Gojong, Emperor of the Daehan Empire
Spelling of names
Hangeul	고종
Hanja	高宗
Revised Romanization	Gojong
McCune-Reischauer	Kojong
Reign
Reign of	January 21, 1864 (December 13, 1863 nd lunar calendar)
Reign until	July 19, 1907
predecessor	King Cheoljong
successor	Emperor Sunjong
Life dates
Born on the	September 8, 1852
place of birth	Hanseong , Joseon
Birth Name	이명복
Hanja	李 命 福
Revised Romanization	Yi Myeong-bok
McCune-Reischauer	Yi Myŏng-bok
father	Prince Heungseon Daewongun
mother	Princess Sunmok
Death dates
Died on	January 21, 1919
Place of death	Deoksugung Palace, Seoul , in Korea , then annexed by Japan
tomb	Hongneung Tomb in Namyangju , Gyeonggi-do
Spouses, mistresses, offspring
Woman (s)	Empress Myeongseong of the Yeoheung Min clan and twelve other ladies of the court
Sons	Crown Prince Yi Cheok five princes and three other sons, whose names are not known
Daughters	Princess Deokhye and three other daughters, whose names are not known
Remarks
was the 26th and last king of the Joseon Dynasty and founder of the Daehan Empire

Gojong ( Korean : 고종 ) (born September 8, 1852 in Hanseong , Joseon ; † January 21, 1919 in Deoksugung ( 덕수궁 ) in Seoul in what was then Japan- annexed Korea ), was the 26th and thus during his reign from 1864 to 1907 last king of the Joseon Dynasty ( 조선 왕조 ) (1392–1910) and as the founder of the Daehan Empire ( 대한 제국 ) the first emperor of Korea.

Early life

Yi Myeong-bok ( 이명복 ) was born on September 8, 1852. His father was Prince Heungseon Daewongun ( 흥선 대원군 ), who was descended from the adopted son of Prince Eunsingun ( 은신 군 ), whose name was Prince Namyeongun ( 님 영군 ). Prince Eunsingun's father, however, was Prince Sado ( 사도 ), son of King Yeongjo ( 영조 ), the 21st king of the Joseon Dynasty. Yi Myeong-bok's mother was known as Princess Sunmok.

Enthronement

After the early death of King Cheoljong ( 철종 ), the royal court of the Joseon Empire again remained without a direct heir to the throne, so that a legitimate successor had to be found within the Yi family. They found what they were looking for in the fifth generation of the line of succession from King Yeongjo ( 영조 ), the 21st King of Joseons, and on January 21, 1864 (December 13, 1863 and lunar calendar), the only eleven year old Yi Myeong-bok was crowned under the name Gojong for the 26 King of the Joseon Dynasty . Too young to rule, his father Heungseon Daewongun took over the affairs of state and two years later ordered the marriage of King Gojong to the one year older Min Chi Rok, a daughter of the Min clan. The wedding took place according to the lunar calendar on March 20, 1866 in Changdeokgung ( 창덕궁 ), the Palace of Brilliant Virtue in Hanseong .

Gojong's father used his power for reforms, which he pursued with the aim of forging a strong monarchy. So he overthrew the four most influential clans in the country, which alternately had strong influence on the royal court and the affairs of government in the past. He also changed the taxation system so that the so-called military clothing tax, which the common people had to pay, was changed into a household tax, which now also affects the Yangban class ( 양반 ). Among other things, he ensured that the Gyeongbokgung Palace ( 경복궁 ), which was destroyed by Japanese invaders during the Imjin War , was rebuilt and pursued a policy of isolation from western influences. In 1873 he had to hand over his power to his son Gojong, who was now old enough to rule. But Gojong was increasingly influenced by his wife, Queen Myeongseong ( 명성 ) and the Min Klan.

Gojong's rule

Rule as king

When King Gojong took over the business of government from his father in 1873, he tried to open his country to other countries against the opposition of many of his bureaucrats. He followed the advice of those who took the view that in the long run it would be impossible for Joseon to oppose the military power of foreign countries and that it would be better to open up to trade with other countries, from which Joseon could only benefit, so their point of view. Even at this time, the Japanese Empire tried to use its influence over the empire of the Qing Dynasty and the Russian Tsarist empire in order to secure influence over the Joseon Empire. After Japan then attacked two fortresses on the islands of Ganghwado ( 강화도 ) and Yeongjongdo ( 영종도 ) in a brief limited military expedition on September 20, 1875 , King Gojong, on the recommendation of the Chinese government, refrained from military retaliation against Japan, including from Reason why Joseon was considered too weak militarily to win over Japan. King Gojong followed the recommendations to negotiate, which led to the so-called Japanese-Korean Friendship Treaty of February 26, 1876, but contained unequal terms. With the treaty, Gojong agreed that Japan would have trade access to two ports of Joseon and that Japanese ships could sail the coasts of Joseon.

Encouraged by the treaty with Japan, King Gojong sought contact with Western countries in order to be able to conclude trade agreements with them. After the Imo uprising in Seoul in June 1882, which was also directed against the Japanese embassy in the capital, Japan increased pressure on the Korean royal family, which resulted in the Jemulpo Treaty in 1882 and the tax regulation treaty in the year 1883 and the Treaty of Hanseong in 1886, all of which were designed to the disadvantage of Joseon and lacked negotiating skills on the part of the government under King Gojong.

In the late 1880s, Japan began investing 70% of its national budget in armaments with the aim of gaining supremacy in Asia. The Donghak uprising then gave rise to the first Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895), when China and Japan each sent troops to put down the uprising in Joseon. On July 23, 1894, Japanese troops occupied Seoul, penetrated the Gyeongbokgung Palace ( 경복궁 ) and restricted King Gojong's freedom of movement. Emerging victorious from the military conflict, the Japanese Empire in Joseon ensured a pro-Japanese government, which, through its foreign minister at the time, first reached a preliminary joint agreement, called Jamjeong Hapdong Jogwan ( 잠정 합동 조관 , 暫定 合同 條款 ). August 1894 a treaty of alliance, Daejoseon Daeilbon Yangguk Maengyak ( 대 조선대 일본 양국 맹약 , 對 朝鮮 對 日本 兩國 盟約 , literally translated: Greater Joseon Greater Japan Both Countries Treaty), concluded with Joseon. Both were enforced treaties that had not been ratified by the sovereign of the state, King Gojong. With this, Japan tried to isolate King Gojong from power.

On the morning of October 8, 1895, Japanese soldiers and Korean collaborators broke into Gyeongbokgung Palace and killed King Gojong's wife, Queen Myeongseong, who was also known as Queen Min. The killers poured gasoline on her corpse and burned her remains. King Gojong and his son were captured and detained in the palace. A new prime minister was installed by the Japanese occupiers, who then gradually formed a pro-Japanese cabinet.

Under this government, in the course of the third phase of the Gabo reforms, the tribute relationship to China was cut. a. was symbolized by a calendar reform. Furthermore, the school system was reformed and German civil law was introduced. But the murder of the queen and the decree that married men were no longer allowed to wear their tied hair bun, known as danballyeong ( 단발령 ), which King Gojong was also responsible for, heightened anti-Japanese sentiment among the population and unrest spread.

On February 11, 1896, at the mediation of Horace Newton Allen and Carl von Waeber , King Gojong and his son went to the Russian embassy disguised as women , as they did not have to fear an attack on their lives there. They stayed there for a year. In the meantime, Russia took advantage of the anti-Japanese sentiment among the population, negotiated with Japan and expanded its influence over the country's government, while Japan took advantage of the country militarily.

Rule as emperor

To appease the public and to accommodate the return of the monarch, King Gojong was allowed to return to Gyeongbokgung Palace in 1897. He took the opportunity to regain the independence of Joseon and proclaimed Joseon Daehan Jeguk ( 대한 제국 , 大 韓帝國 ) on October 12, 1897 , which literally means “Great Han Empire” . He proclaimed himself the first emperor of the empire and gave his rule the name Gwangmu ( 광무 ). He did this to demonstrate his desire for independence to the Japanese Empire and the Russian Empire. In addition, the Gojong formally placed himself on a par with the Chinese emperor, which meant the final termination of the vassal relationship to the Chinese Qing Empire.

After the defeat in the Russo-Japanese War , the defeated Russia accepted in the Portsmouth Peace Treaty in 1905, among other things, that Korea would officially come under Japanese influence. As a result, the Japan-Korea Protectorate Treaty of 1905 was concluded in Hanseong in November 1905 , through which the Korean Empire became a Japanese protectorate and thus lost its sovereignty.

Gojong sent an embassy to the Second Hague Peace Conference in the summer of 1907 to explain the illegality of the Japan-Korean Protectorate Treaty and to obtain an international condemnation of the Japanese actions. However, the Korean embassy was not admitted, as the treaty gave the Japanese Empire control over Korean foreign policy. Because of his resistance to the Japanese hegemonic policy, Gojong was forced to abdicate in favor of his son Sunjong ( 순종 ) by the governor general of the Korean Empire, Itō Hirobumi ( 伊藤博文 ), on the instructions of the government of the Japanese emperor Meiji ( 明治天皇 ) .

death

Emperor Gojong died suddenly and unexpectedly on January 21, 1919 in Deoksugung Palace ( 덕수궁 ) in Seoul, where he was held captive by the Japanese occupying forces. At the age of 66 he was without any critical health problems. Therefore, there was speculation in the country that he might have been poisoned by the Japanese occupiers. He is said to have drank Sikhye ( 식혜 ), a kind of sweet rice drink, a Chinese herbal medicine and coffee on the morning of the day he died and suddenly died around 30 minutes later. The controversy surrounding his death was the trigger for the independence movement of March 1, 1919 .

Emperor Gojong was buried on March 3, 1919 in the Hongneung ( 홍능 ) tomb in Namyangju ( 남양주 ), Gyeonggi-do ( 경기도 ).

Posthumous title

The posthumous title given to Emperor Gojong after his death was in Korean: 고종 통천 융 운조 극 돈륜 정성광 의 명공 대덕 요 준순 휘 우모 탕경 탕경 응명 입 기지화 신열 외훈 홍업 ​​계기 선력 건 행곤 정영의 홍휴 수강 문헌 무장 인 익 정효 태황제 , in Chinese script: 高宗 統 天 隆 運 肇 極 敦倫 正 聖光 義 明 功 大德 堯 峻 舜 徽 禹 謨 湯 敬 應 命 命 立 紀 至 化 神 烈 巍 勳 洪 業 啓 基 宣 曆 乾 行 坤 弘 休 毅 毅 弘 休 毅 毅 坤 弘 毅 毅 毅 坤 毅 毅 弘 毅章 仁 翼 貞 孝 太 皇帝 and in its transliteration: Gojong Tongcheon Yungun Jogeuk Donryun Jeongseong Gwangui Myeonggong Daedeok Yojun Sunhwi Umo Tanggyeong Eungmyeong Ipgi Jihwa Sinyeol Oehun Hongeop Gyangongyangi Seonengyeok Geoji Gongyo Gongonghang Oehun Hongeop Gyangonha

Commemoration

On January 21, 2019, the former Emperor Gojong was commemorated with a ceremony on the 100th anniversary of his death at the Hongneung, Namyangju tomb.

Awards

• 1895: Grand Cross of the Order of St. Mauritius and Lazarus of Italy
• 1895: Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor of France
• 1897: Grand Cross with chain of order of the Chrysanthemum Order of Japan
• 1900: Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE)
• 1900: Grand Cross with Collane of the Order of Charles III. of Spain
• 1901: Grand Cross of the Leopold Order of Belgium
• 1903: Order of the Double Dragon , 1st class, first degree of the Chinese Empire
• 1903: Knight of the Order of Saint Stanislaus of Russia
• 1903: Knight of the Elephant Order of Denmark , awarded on August 31, 1903 and withdrawn on July 18, 1906.
• 1904: Knight of the Black Eagle Order of Prussia

Photo gallery

• Gojong as a king and as an emperor
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  Gojong as King of Korea (1884) (Photo: Percival Lowell)

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  Oil painting by King Gojong, Hubert Vos (1899)

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  Emperor Gojong and Crown Prince Yi Wang (1904)

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  Gojong in German military uniform (1904)

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  Emperor Gojong (date unknown)

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  Funeral Procession for Emperor Gojong (March 3, 1919)

literature

• Ki-baik Lee : A New History of Korea . Harvard University Press , Seoul 1984, ISBN 0-674-61576-X (English, Chinese: 韓國 史 新 論 . 1961. Translated by Edward W. Wagner).
• Tatiana M. Simbirtseva: Queen Min of Korea: Coming to Power . In: Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch (Ed.): Transactions . Volume 71 . Seoul 1996, p. 41–54 (English, online [PDF; 28.2 MB ; accessed on March 28, 2019]).
• Alexis Dudden : Japan's Colonization of Korea. Discourse and Power . University of Hawaii Press , Honolulu 2005, ISBN 0-8248-2829-1 (English).
• Bruce Cummings : Korea's Place in the Sun. A Modern History . WW Norton & Company , New York / London 2005, ISBN 0-393-04011-9 (English).
• Kim Ki-Seok : Emperor Gwangmu's Diplomatic Struggles to Protect His Sovereignty before and after 1905 . In: Korea Journal . Vol. 46, No.2, Summer . The Academy of Korean Studies , Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 2006, pp. 233–257 (English, online [PDF; 113 kB ; accessed on March 31, 2019]).
• Shin Hyong-Sik : Korean History . Easy to understand. Association for Overseas Korean Education development , Seoul 2009, ISBN 978-89-962593-0-5 (German, Korean).
• Han Young Woo : Joseon Era . In: A Review of Korean History . Volume 2 . Kyongsaewon Publishing Company , Pajubookcity, Gyeonggi-do 2010, ISBN 978-89-8341-092-4 (English).
• DK Schneidewind: The Historical Development of Korea . In: Economic Miracle Market South Korea . Springer Science + Business Media , Singapore 2016, ISBN 978-981-10-0613-5 , 2.9 The Arrival of Aliens , p. 15–52 , doi : 10.1007 / 978-981-10-0615-9_2 (English, online [PDF; 262 kB ; accessed on March 31, 2019]).
• Sang Pil Jin : Korean Neutralization Attempts (1882-1907) . Retracing the Struggle for Survival and Imperial Intrigues . Department of Japan and Korea School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London , London 2016 (English, online [PDF; 4.2 MB ; accessed on April 1, 2019]).
• Yi Tae-jin : Treaties Leading to Japan's Annexation of Korea . What are the problems? . In: Korea Journal . Vol. 56, No.4, winter . The Academy of Korean Studies , Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 2016, pp. 5–32 (English, online [PDF; 3.3 MB ; accessed on April 1, 2019]).

Web links

Commons : Gojong  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Gojong - ruler of the Korean Empire. In: KBS World Radio . November 12, 2010, accessed March 28, 2019 . 

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Han : Joseon Era . 2010, p.  308 .
2. ↑ Simbirtseva: Queen Min of Korea: Coming to Power . 1996, p. 44 .
3. ↑ Simbirtseva: Queen Min of Korea: Coming to Power . 1996, p. 41 .
4. ↑ Simbirtseva: Queen Min of Korea: Coming to Power . 1996, p. 47 .
5. ^ Lee : A New History of Korea . 1984, p.  261 .
6. ^ Lee : A New History of Korea . 1984, p.  263 .
7. ^ Lee : A New History of Korea . 1984, p.  268 .
8. ^ Schneidewind: The Historical Development of Korea . In: Economic Miracle Market South Korea . 2016, p. 27 .
9. ↑ Jin : Korean Neutralization Attempts (1882-1907) . 2016, p.  36 f .
10. ↑ Jin : Korean Neutralization Attempts (1882-1907) . 2016, p.  37 f .
11. ↑ Jin : Korean Neutralization Attempts (1882-1907) . 2016, p.  39 .
12. ↑ Yi : Treaties Leading to Japan's Annexation of Korea . 2016, p.  7th ff .
13. ↑ Yi : Treaties Leading to Japan's Annexation of Korea . 2016, p.  9 .
14. ↑ ^{a b} Yi : Treaties Leading to Japan's Annexation of Korea . 2016, p.  10 .
15. ^ ^{A b c} Schneidewind: The Historical Development of Korea . In: Economic Miracle Market South Korea . 2016, p. 30 .
16. ^ Marion Eggert, Jörg Plassen: Small history of Korea . CH Beck, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-406-52841-4 , p. 120 f .
17. ↑ Yi : Treaties Leading to Japan's Annexation of Korea . 2016, p.  11 .
18. ↑ Shin : Korean History . 2009, p.  153 .
19. ^ Brian Lee : Painful, significant landmark . In: Korea Joongang Daily . June 23, 2008, accessed April 24, 2018 .  
20. ^ Dethronement of Emperor Gojong . (PDF 7.7 MB) Daehan Empire History Museum , p. 15 , accessed on April 24, 2018 (English).  
21. ↑ Dudden : Japan's Colonization of Korea. Discourse and Power . 2005, p.  7-9 .
22. ↑ ^{a b c d} Yim Seung-hye : Remembering the death that started a movement: Emperor Gojong's controversial passing began a year of change . Korea JoongAng Daily , January 23, 2019, accessed March 31, 2019 .  
23. ↑ 정상우 ( Jeong Sang-u ): 대한 제국 의 황제, 망국 의 황제 . National Institute of Korean History , accessed March 31, 2019 (Korean).  
24. ↑ Jørgen Pedersen : Riddere af Elefantordenen 1559-2009 (=  University of Southern Denmark Studies in History and Social Sciences . Volume 384 ). Syddansk Universitetsforlag , 2009, ISBN 978-87-7674-434-2 , p.  466 (Danish).
25. ↑ Christopher Buyers : Korea - Choson: The Yi Dynasty - Genealogy . In: The Royal Ark . September 2010, p. 8 , accessed on April 12, 2014 (English).