According to this report, it seems that the ministers were ordered by the king, and were not acting under any foreign power. Maybe other similar documents from Russia would be required to get the full account.

On the Report Submitted by Minister Resident Masuo Kato of the Full Account of the Changing of the Title of the Korean King, Nov. 17, 1897 (韓国王陛下称号御変更ノ顛末ニ関シ京城駐剳弁理公使加藤増雄報告ノ件; JACAR Reference Code: A04010035900), Images 4-6

[Rough translation]
In giving the full account of the events that lead to the abolishment of the title Taegunju (大君主) and the declaration of the emperor (皇帝), I must first point out that the king has always regarded the title as the supreme glory and has always dreamed of taking on the title.
Sensing his wish, not a few subjects have petitioned for this change in the last few years.
However, on each occasion, something unfortunate has always turned up and hindered its execution.
Recently, the king’s fever for the title has once again risen, and he has secretly ordered three of his subjects, 趙秉式 of the Ministry of the Royal Household, 権在衡of the Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce, and Engineering, and 兪箕煥 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to orchestrate the motion. 趙秉式 was mainly responsible for recruiting the petitioners, and as a result, on Sept. 21, the former inspector general 李教弼, 張志淵 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, former chamberlain 宋秀晩, and former chancellor 安衡鎮 took the lead, followed by 姜懋馨 of the primary school (幼学) of Gyeongsangnam-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do. These were followed by petitioned by his subjects and students of Confucianism such as 権在衡 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce, and Engineering on the 24th, 兪箕煥 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and 沈魯文of the school of Chungcheong-do on the 25th, and by the former royal servants 金斗秉 and 金在顕 on the 28th. On the 29th, students from the Sungkyunkwan joined in the petition, and the representatives of the students such as 李秀丙 presented their speeches. All 3 sectors of the government, the civil, military and 蔭 [don't know what this character stands for], were represented, and gathered at the 中枢院 to make their oaths.
On Oct. 2, petitions were made by the gentlemen of higher classes such as 金善柱 and 郭善坤, and the former governor, 丁載昇, and also by the common people. Several hundred people gathered in the streets, and in the afternoon, stood in front of the Deoksu Palace with their straw mats and hats and wailed for their king to take the title.

With the prestige of the royal house seriously damaged, the court initiated a series of efforts to reverse the monarchy’s fortunes and reestablish its dignity and power. It was to be a “restoration” (chunghûng), and expression with a long history among beleaguered courts in East Asian history. (Schmid, p. 72)

This began to take place following China’s defeat to Japan, Queen Min’s assassination and Kojong’s flight to the Russian legation.
- termination of adherence to Qing’s taboo characters
- adoption of the independent year title (Kônyang)
- razing of ancient monuments associated with the tributary relationship to China

About Kojong becoming an emperor, Schmid doesn’t hint to any Japanese involvement:

Court officials thus moved to eliminate any such implication [of subordination], through changes centering on Kojong’s form of address, changes marked by exhaustive rituals based on classical precedents but now invested with new meanings. (Schmid, p. 73)

- in July 1894, king’s conventional form of address from “sovereign” (Kunju) to “great sovereign” (Taegunju)
- later elevation to “Royal highness” (Chusang chônha), and in 1986 to “Great Imperial Highness” (Taegunju p’yeha)
- in October, 1897, memorial submitted that requested change in the royal status:

A flurry of official activity followed as officials and rural scholars rushed to present petitions beseeching the king to abandon the royal title. For three days in a row, Kojong’s top officials knelt in the palace courtyard for four hours each day, according to protocol, submitting nine separate requests, Kojong declined all the supplications – except, of course, the last. (Schmid, p. 73)

So, according to Andre Schmid, Kojong becoming an emperor and Korea an “empire” was a court-led process aimed to restore the monarchy in a situation where the tributary relation with China was no more. In his description Kojong’s role doesn’t come out clear, but he appears more as a passive figure.

> I don’t understand why you adamantly believe that some country other
> than Korea must have been involved in the emperor/empire renaming issue.

Well, i’m no longer adamantly believing, just wondering — given the general context of what was going on at that time, the Korean régime being strongly pressured and manipulated by multiple foreign agents, all the sources say — i find it a bit hard to accept theories that Gojong & whomever were making decisions in some kind of vacuum, just cooking up and implementing their own ideas… the Korean cabinet was said to be strongly pro-Japanese (pro-”reform” & “modernization”) after 1894… Gojong had just spent a year hanging with the Russians… seems natural to think that every big decision he made in those days was in response to pressure from someone… no?

> At least, according to extensive reports sent from Kato to Japan,
> it seemed to be King Kojung who was obsessed with the idea.

Thanks a lot again for those quotes, they are new to me and revealing — i’m starting to think you’re right! I’ve been believing that Japanese forced him to do that ever since my grad school (Yonsei GSIS) modern history class 15 long years ago; can’t remember the specific origin of that meme but it’s been one of those narratives in my memory, something i think that i know and is generally known and accepted — when i told you “check your history books” back up there i honestly thought that that’s what would be found; sorry ’bout that, and thanks for the education from your sources.

Checking what i do have in my office, there’s a curious lack of explanation or discussion of what seems a pretty significant point to me. My trusty “Sources of Korean Tradition” gives no reason for the change at all. Cumings just breezes past it in “Place in the Sun” (pg 123), but implies that it was Gojong’s idea to raise his diplomatic status, to stop both China and Japan from “talking down to him.”

Kim & Kim’s _Korea and the Politics of Imperialism 1876-1910_ (pg 107) doesn’t give any direct reason, but implies that it was an attempt to appease the Independence Club activists… Hmmmmm.

As i dimly recall, Prof Kim Key-Hiuk wrote something good about this era, but i can’t find any of his works on my shelves… anybody?

Wikipedia is also not very helpful, only says: “In 1897, King Gojong, yielding to rising pressure from both overseas and the demands of the Independence Association-led public opinion, returned to Gyeonungung (modern-day Deoksugung). There, he proclaimed the founding of the Empire of Korea…” — then with title details, that’s it, no mention of WHY — attributes his leaving the Russian legation to foreign and Independence-Club pressure, but doesn’t make the connection from those to proclaiming himself emperor…

Seems weird — hasn’t somebody done at least a good PhD dissertation on why this step was taken, to enlighten us all…? Seems like research on this question is called for, strange if it hasn’t been done… but it probably has, can be found somewhere.

As an aside, i am amazed to see that that Wikipedia article ends with: “Prior to the Korean Empire, several dynastic rulers of Goguryeo, Silla, Baekje, Balhae and Goryeo claimed right to imperial status and used imperial titles at one time or another.” — I certainly did not know that, if indeed it is true.

I’m now thinking that our Sperwer has a good line on it in #65 — it may just have been Gojong’s hubris, within the general pattern of Korean hubris — and at least some Koreans these days recognize that… thanks for that post.

Anyway, my original assertions about it are clearly too simplistic and might be entirely off base… I am humbled and thank you for the education, two cents. I shall certainly have to change the rap i tell my tour-groups on my semi-annual visits to the Dongnip-mun…

And it seems that THESE royal-wanna-be Korean folks aren’t at all ashamed of the “Emperor” overreach…: http://times.hankooki.com/lpag.....611710.htm

American Policy in Korea has to have patience, the type of patience that China is demonstrating. This may not be the best possible solution at this moment, but the only real option America has at this time. Staying in Korea will give America time to come up with a better overall strategy in dealing with N. Korea and China.

East Asia is a very important region and American presence is the only thing maintaining stability in this region. Even though they may never admit it openly, This is something that even China understands and appreciates.

What America needs is global stability for market driven economy, speaking from a Korean point of view maybe something else entirely.

Chuck Iraq up as a mistake and move on.

In Secret Document #39 on June 23, 1897 (JACAR Reference Code: B03050002500, images 33-35) sent from Kato to the foreign minister of Japan, Kato says that he advised Kojung to ask the opinions of the British, French, and Germany ambassadors if he so wished to take on the imperial title. Heeding the advice, Kojung sent his subjects, and all replied “No.” Thus, the matter seems to have gone up in smoke. (皇帝称号の事の如きは本官の勧告を容れ、陛下より内々人を以て英仏独等の公使・領事の意向を探聞せられたる結果、孰れも容易に同意せざる気色に見受らるるを以て、目下殆ど立消の姿と相成居候)

Prior to this telegram were two other secret telegrams, #62 from Kato to FM and #44 from FM to Kato on June 7. In #62, Kato relayed Kojung’s wish to be called “皇帝.” In #44, the FM replied that Japan wouldn’t mind referring to him by that title in Japanese, but the title in English would most likely have disquieting effects on the western countries, so don’t let him do it.

Now why did Kojung want the title “emperor” so much? In a section titled “The Reason Behind the Postponements of the Queen’s Funeral (王妃葬式延期の原因)” in Secret Document #61 (JACAR Reference Code: B03050002900, images 3-4) on Sept. 27, 1897, Kato writes, “There are several theories circulating as to why the queen’s funeral has been postponed a number of times. The truth is that he wants to give the funeral after he is enthroned as emperor [so that the queen can be laid to rest as empress].” (真因は則ち、皇帝の称号を戴きたる後ち、葬儀を営まんとするもの是なり。) He gives as evidence the fact that her burial tomb is all but complete except for the engravings on the stone where the title of the queen is to be carved. (独り墓表及び石材等、特に王妃の称号を彫刻すべき部分に至っては、故らに之が彫刻を見合せあり。)

Was Kato’s theory correct? On Oct. 28, 1897, he sends Secret Document #73 (JACAR Reference Code: B03050002900, image 15) titled “Views Regarding the Date of the Queen’s Funeral and Attendants (王妃葬式期日并に参列者に関する意見上申).” He states, “I believe this time, there are no longer any worries of postponements. Please proceed to select the attendants who will be representing Japan.” (今回は最早恐らく変更するが如き懸念有之間敷と存候間、参列者御撰定方可然御取扱相成度候。) The funeral was held as planned.

All for his beloved queen. How sweet.

In Post 27, you said the following:

Check your history books — they were forced to do this by the conquering Japanese, to declare their “independence” from China as an “empire” just so that Japan could take them over — it was anything but gleeful. Koreans never would have done that voluntarily, they knew full well how absurd and wrong it was…

You tell a poster to “check your history books,” and then on to claim that Korea was forced to declare herself an empire. I assumed you read what you wrote in a history book. Are you now saying that that was not the case, but only your opinion?

You also wrote the following in Post 48:

The whole point was that in order to take Korea over the Japanese first had to force Gojong to become independent from China, as an “Emperor”, and then once that was internationally accepted (after 1905) they could downgrade him back to “King” under their own “Emperor”, and then compel him to sign away the country into colonial status altogether. I don’t believe that any of this process was the Korean’s own choice, or what any of them beyond a very few pro-J traitors wanted to do.
….
The version of the 1897 story i am advocating here is what i have long told my tour-groups when i take them to the Dongnip-mun (Independence Gate).

Where did you get your “version of the 1897 story”? Where did you read it?

Then you wrote the following:

We must note, however, that if you are going by sources published in Japan, they may be telling quite a different story from that told by Korean and Western historians of that period (and of the contemporary accounts of the Westerners in Seoul, such as the American missionaries)…

What “Korea and Western historians of that period” said that Japan forced Korea to become an empire?

Then in Post 58 you wrote the following:

OK, but our question here was, did the Koreans “gleefully” declare their kingdom to be an empire, and Gojong an emperor, or was this move forced upon them by the Japanese imperialists? The latter view seems to be standard among historians of that era; do you know of any historical source that indicates the former…?

Where is this “latter view (that Japan forced Korea to become an empire),” which “seems to be standard among historians,” written?

I think I have read your posts pretty well, Sanshinseon. You claimed that Japan forced Korea to become an empire and then suggested that a poster “check his history books.” Then you start vaguely referring to Korean and Western historians and missionaries who support your view. That is why I asked the name of the history book you were referring to.

After claiming to be using “standard versions of history” and saying that Korean historians say this and Western historian that, you now seem to be backing off of the version of history you having been telling your tour-groups to Independence Gate. Am I reading right?

rather, i’ve detected a sense of shame from those who seem to know what actually happened, how it turned out…

I don’t think their sense of shame has anything to do with the way it turned out; rather it quite appropriately reflected the extravagant pomposity of the gesture. Various other countries created empires by conquest and domination of other than national territory. The Japanese seemed to have been impelled to make their bones vis-a-vis the Western powers - both the declared and undeclared empires thereof, and more or less made good on the dare - in the short run anyway. Korea opted for pure pretense, and paid the price for its own poor choice.