King Gojong's internal exile to the Russian legation, also called the Agwan Pacheon incident (), occurred in 1896 in Korea when King Gojong and his crown prince left the

Gyeongbokgung Gyeongbokgung () is a former royal palace in Seoul, South Korea. Established in 1395, it was the first royal palace of the Joseon dynasty, and is now one of the most significant tourist attractions in the country. The palace was among the first ...

palace to take refuge at the Russian

legation A legation was a diplomatic representative office of lower rank than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an ambassador, a legation was headed by a minister. Ambassadors outranked ministers and had precedence at official events. Legation ...

in Hanseong (Seoul). The incident resulted in a temporary decline of Japan's influence in Korea and corresponding rise in Russia's influence.

Context

The incident occurred after the

First Sino-Japanese War The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 189417 April 1895), or the First China–Japan War, was a conflict between the Qing dynasty of China and the Empire of Japan primarily over influence in Joseon, Korea. In Chinese it is commonly known as th ...

during a period of factional confrontation within the Korean royal court. King Gojong of the

Joseon dynasty Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

and his

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

took refuge from the Gyeongbok Palace at the

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

, from which they controlled the Korean government for about one year from February 11, 1896, to February 20, 1897. Their escape took place in secrecy; it was arranged by the pro-Russian official Yi Bum-jin, the Russian consul Karl Ivanovich Weber, and others. The event, which was triggered in part by the king's fear of a

coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...

and his reaction to the murder of his wife Empress Myeongseong by the Japanese, marked a shift in Joseon politics away from the pro-Japanese reform faction and toward to the conservative faction which had been aligned with Queen Min (later given the title Empress Myeongseong). This led to the general repeal of the Gabo Reforms. Members of the old cabinet were killed or forced to flee, including

Kim Hong-jip Kim Hong-jip (; 1842 – February 11, 1896) was a Korean politician best known for his role as prime minister during the Kabo Reform period from 1895–1896. His name was originally Kim Goeng-jip () which he later changed to Kim Hong-jip ...

, Eo Yun-jung, and Yu Gil-jun. Pro-Russian and pro-U.S. figures came to power, with Yi Beom-jin and

Lee Wan-yong Yi Wanyong (; 17 July 1858 – 12 February 1926), also spelled Lee Wan-yong or Ye Wan-yong, was a Korean politician who served as the 7th Prime Minister of Korea. He is best remembered for signing the Eulsa Treaty and the Japan–Korea Ann ...

named to the new cabinet. Trade and resource concessions were granted to Russia, and to a lesser degree to other Western powers including the United States. Japan remained Korea's most important trading partner. The move and associated concessions were greeted with widespread outrage within Korea, led by the Independence Club. This reaction eventually spurred the king to return to Deoksugung after slightly more than a year at the Russian embassy. Russian guards continued to guard the king upon his return to the palace. This may have contributed to the declaration of the

Korean Empire The Korean Empire, officially the Empire of Korea or Imperial Korea, was a Korean monarchical state proclaimed in October 1897 by King Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. The empire lasted until the Japanese annexation of Korea in August 1910. Dur ...

later in 1897, affirming Korea's independence. Ironically, this increase in Russian influence led to the end of Korean independence. After the

Russo-Japanese war The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...

, Japan, determined to secure more control, signed a coercive treaty in 1905 that made Korea a protectorate. Five years later, Japan annexed Korea, marking the start of Japanese mainland colonialism.

References

* *, pp. 230–232. {{Authority control Korean Empire 1896 in international relations 1897 in international relations 1896 in Korea 1897 in Korea Korea–Russia relations Defunct diplomatic missions of Russia Empress Myeongseong

Context

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References