King Kojong’s Perception of the West During the Period of Opening of Ports
Author(s)
Choi, Deok-soo
Abstract
Korea opened its ports to trade later than did Japan (1854) or China (1842), even though the earliest pressure placed on Korea to do so was in 1832 by an East India Company ship. Both the French in 1866 and the Americans in 1871 attempted to use force to open Korea’s ports. King Kojong (reigned 1864-1907) wished to improve relations with Japan in 1874, after Japan attacked Taiwan, but his ministers rejected Japan’s diplomatic advances. Japan then sent the ship Unyo into the port of Pusan, taking control of Kanghwa Island and killing civilians. Japan then sent a diplomatic mission to Korea, resulting in the 1876 Kanghwa Treaty. By signing a treaty with the United States in 1882, Korea took its first step in globalization by entering the capitalist market.
