Opposition to Japan

The Japanese minister to Korea, Hanabusa Yoshimoto, forced the Korean government to introduce the Japanese army training system, and a separate training command was established for this purpose. Implementation of army reorganization and training was of itself an effective springboard for aggression. Japan monopolized the Korean market in 1876. Two years later, Japan's Daiichi Bank established a branch office in Busan, encouraging Japanese merchants to infiltrate Korea en masse. The Japanese merchants could purchase rice, soy beans, cattle hides and alluvial gold at incredibly low prices, reaping exorbitant profits at home. Korea, on the other hand, was faced with the pressing need of devising some means of protecting its national economy.

Discriminatory treatment within the armed forces became an inflammatory issue. While the opposition movement was at its height, soldiers undergoing Japanese training in special units were paid and rewarded conspicuously better than the ordinary troops in traditional training. Infuriated by these injustices, the latter rose up in revolt. Giving vent to their anger at the Japanese aggressors, the Korean soldiers assaulted the Japanese legation, forcing the Japanese minister and his party to flee to Incheon at night. State administration once again entrusted itself to the Daewongun in the hope that he might be able to save the situation.

Queen Min and her clique, having barely escaped the rioting army by fleeing the palace, asked China for a contingent of troops to help suppress the uprising. The Chinese responded by sending four warships and 3,000 troops to Korea. Moreover, they seized the Daewongun and took him to Beijing. Minister Hanabusa, who had managed to escape to Japan, returned to Hanyang on August 12, bringing 1,500 troops aboard four warships. Storming into the capital, Hanabusa pressed the Korean government to pay reparations for the damages and to agree to the stationing of Japanese troops in Korea.

In the Jemulpo Treaty, concluded under Japanese exaction, Korea agreed to Japan's demands, which included Korea's promise to pay 500,000 Won in reparations and gave permission for the stationing of Japanese troops in the capital for the defense of the Japanese legation. The treaty further broadened the scope of Japan's aggressive activities centering around such ports as Busan, Incheon and Wonsan.

Meanwhile, the Chinese continued their interference in Korea's internal affairs. They reorganized the Korean government system at will, appointing to important posts members of the Min clique who had previously held high positions. China's powerful Li Heungjang sent his emissaries, P.G. Moellendorff and Ma Chien-chung, to Korea to carry out the task of reorganizing Korea's diplomacy. Yuan Shih-kai of Qing took command of the Korean army, providing it with Chinese-style training.

To reinstate Chinese control in Korea, China advised Korea to conclude a series of commercial treaties with European powers and America. The Korea-U.S. 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.

Japan concluded an agreement with Korea concerning commercial activities of Japanese residents in Korea. The tax rates fixed in the agreement with Japan were very disadvantageous to Korea. Moellendorff tried to introduce Russian influence into Korea with the purpose of engineering a secret treaty of protection between the two countries. His action, however, precipitated the British occupation of Geomundo island (Port Hamilton) in order to check the Russian advance. Korea was plunged into a whirlpool of international rivalries.

With the British occupation of Geomundo island on April 10, 1885, Korea lost control over one of best ports on the South Sea. After exacting a pledge from Russia through Li Heungjang that it would not attempt an occupation of any part of Korea, Great Britain withdrew its fleet from the port on February 27, 1887.