The Hague Secret Emissary Affair (''Heigeu teuksa sageon'', 헤이그 특사사건) resulted from Emperor Gojong of the

Korean Empire The Korean Empire () was a Korean monarchical state proclaimed in October 1897 by Emperor Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. The empire stood until Japan's annexation of Korea in August 1910. During the Korean Empire, Emperor Gojong oversaw the Gwa ...

sending confidential emissaries to the Second Peace Conference at

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

, the Netherlands, in 1907.

Background

Following

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

's victory over

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

in the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

(1904–05), Japan sought to formalize its control over the

Korean Peninsula Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

. Japan assumed hegemony over the Empire of Korea with the Eulsa Treaty of 1905.

Event

Emperor Gojong sent three secret emissaries,

Yi Tjoune Yi Tjoune (December 18, 1859 – July 14, 1907), also known as Yi Jun (이준), was a Korean prosecutor and diplomat and the father of the North Korean politician Lee Yong. Early life and education Yi Tjoune was born in Bukcheong in the pro ...

(),

Yi Sang-seol Sangsul Yi (Jincheon County, December 7, 1870 – Ussuriysk, April 1, 1917), also known as Yi Sang-seol, was a Korean civil servant and independence activist. Life Sangsul Yi was born in Jincheon (진천) in the province of Chungcheong and was s ...

() and

Yi Wi-jong Ouitjyong Yi (1884–1924(?)), also known as Yi Wi-jong, was a Korean diplomat and military officer. His name in Russian is Vladimir Sergeyevich Li (). His father Yi Beom-Jin was a politician. Yi Wi-Jong took part in World War I as a 2nd lieut ...

() to the Second Hague Peace Convention to declare the invalidity of Japanese diplomatic maneuvers, including the

Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905 The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905, also known as the Eulsa Treaty, Eulsa Unwilling Treaty or Japan–Korea Protectorate Treaty, was made between the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire in 1905. Negotiations were concluded on November 17, 19 ...

(Eulsa Treaty). Gojong's representatives asserted the monarch's rights to rule Korea independent of Japan. However, the nations at The Hague did not allow the emissaries to take part in the conference and blocked this diplomatic mission. Because of Russia's opposition to Japan,

Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Pola ...

tried to help the three Korean emissaries to enter the convention hall, though these efforts were ultimately blocked by Japan. Emperor Gojong's emissaries were unable to gain entry into the convention hall. Korea was no longer viewed as an independent nation by the nations, as Japan had assumed responsibility for its international representation.

In Korea

In Korea,

Gojong of Korea Gojong (; 8 September 1852 – 21 January 1919) was the monarch of Korea from 1864 to 1907. He reigned as the last King of Joseon from 1864 to 1897, and as the first Emperor of Korea from 1897 until his forced abdication in 1907. He is known ...

was threatened his throne by Pro-Japanese cabinet formed by

Itō Hirobumi was a Japanese politician and statesman who served as the first Prime Minister of Japan. He was also a leading member of the ''genrō'', a group of senior statesmen that dictated Japanese policy during the Meiji era. A London-educated samur ...

Song Byeong-jun Song Byeong-jun (Korean:송병준, hanja:宋秉畯, August 20, 1857 – February 1, 1925) was a Korean Joseon dynasty politician, noted for his role in the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910. His clan was the Eunjin Song clan. His literary name was Jea ...

, the Agriculture, and Industry Minister requested Gojong to visit Japan and apologize to

Emperor Meiji , also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figur ...

or capitulate to

Hasegawa Yoshimichi Count was a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and Japanese Governor General of Korea from 1916 to 1919. His Japanese decorations included Order of the Golden Kite (1st class) and Order of the Chrysanthemum. Biography Hasegawa was born ...

, the commander of Korean Residence Japanese Army.

Rescission

In 1965, the treaties of Japan were confirmed to be "''already

null and void In law, void means of no legal effect. An action, document, or transaction which is void is of no legal effect whatsoever: an absolute nullity—the law treats it as if it had never existed or happened. The term void ''ab initio'', which means " ...

''" by the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea. when the government of the Republic of Korea was established; but the Korean analysis of the 1965 declaration construes it as acknowledging the nullification of all treaties and agreements from 1904 onwards,Lee Man-yeol
"For a view of history that puts us at the center,"
''Northeast Asian History Foundation News.'' 2010. which is consistent with the argument Yi Tjoune and others attempted to articulate in the Netherlands in 1907.

Notes

References

* Eckert, Carter J.,

Ki-baik Lee Ki-baik Lee (1924–2004) was a leading South Korean historian. He was born in Jeongju-gun, in North Pyeongan province in what is today North Korea. He graduated from the Osan School in 1941, attending Waseda University in Tokyo but ultimately g ...

, Young Ick Lew, Michael Robinson, and Edward W. Wagner. (1990). ''Korea Old and New: A History.'' Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
OCLC 23071907
* Korean Mission to the Conference on the Limitation of Armament, Washington, D.C., 1921-1922. (1922). ''Korea's Appeal to the Conference on Limitation of Armament.'' Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office
OCLC 12923609
* * United States. Dept. of State. (1919). ''Catalogue of treaties: 1814-1918.'' Washington: Government Printing Office
OCLC 3830508
* Scott, James Brown. (1921). ''Korea, Treaties and Agreements.'' Washington, D.C.: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
OCLC 459192091
{{Authority control 1907 in Korea History of Korea Japan–Korea relations Korean Empire Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907

Background

Event

In Korea

Rescission

See also

Notes

References