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1896 flight of the Korean monarch
King
Gojong's internal exile to the Russian legation
, also called the
Agwan Pacheon incident
(
Korean
:
俄館播遷
), occurred in 1896 in Korea when
King Gojong
and his crown prince left the
Gyeongbokgung
palace to take refuge at the Russian
legation
in Seoul. The incident resulted in a temporary decline of Japan's influence in Korea and corresponding rise in Russia's influence.
Context
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The incident occurred after the
First Sino-Japanese War
during a period of factional confrontation within the Korean royal court.
King Gojong
of the
Joseon Dynasty
and his
crown prince
took refuge from the
Gyeongbok Palace
at the
Russian
legation
in
Seoul
, 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'etat
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
,
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
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
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
, Japan, determined to secure more control,
signed a coercive treaty in 1905
that made Korea a protectorate. And five years later, Japan annexed Korea.
References
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See also
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