Emperor Gojong of the Korean Empire

Infobox_Monarch
name =Gojong
title =Emperor of Korea


caption =
reign =December 13, 1863 - January 21, 1907
coronation =December 13, 1863
predecessor =Cheoljong of Joseon
successor =Sunjong of Korea
consort =Empress Myeongseong
issue =Sunjong of Korea, Prince Imperial Ui, Crown Prince Euimin, Deokhye, Princess of Korea
royal house =House of Yi
royal anthem =
father =Heungseon Daewongun
mother =
date of birth =birth date|1852|9|8|mf=y
place of birth =
date of death =death date and age|1919|1|21|1852|9|8|mf=y
place of death =
buried =|Infobox Korean name
title=Korean name
hangul=고종 광무제 ("short" 고종)
hanja=高宗光武帝 ("short" 高宗)
rr=Gojong Gwangmuje ("short" Gojong)
mr=Kojong Kwangmuje ("short" Kojong)
hangulborn=이명복
hanjaborn=李命福
rrborn=Yi Myeong-bok
mrborn=I Myŏng-bok
color=#b80049
fontcolor=white
tablewidth=260

Gojong, the Gwangmu Emperor (ko-hhrm|hangul=광무제|hanja=光武帝|rr=Gwangmuje|mr=Kwangmuje; September 8 1852–January 21 1919) was the twenty-sixth king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty and the first emperor of the Korean Empire.

Rise to the throne

The great emperor Gojong took the throne in 1863 when he was still a child. His father, Regent Heungseon Daewongun, ruled for him until Gojong reached adulthood. It was during Daeweon-gun's reign that the main palace at Gyeongbokgung was restored as the seat of the royalty.

Reign

Following the invasion of Korea by Chinese, Japanese, and Russian forces during the Sino-Japanese War (1894–95) and Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), a struggle began for influence in the Korean peninsula. Russia at first seemed to be coming out ahead; the Russian consul in Seoul, Karl Ivanovich Weber, developed a personal friendship with Gojong, and after the assassination of Queen Min, personally offered him refuge in the Russian Legation.cite journal|issue=23|last=Volkov|first=M.|title=Русские в Корее- имена и судьбы (Russians in Korea - Names and Fates)|month=May | year=2004|url=http://www.korusforum.org/PHP/STV.php?stid=34|journal=Korusforum Journal, Center for Contemporary Korean Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences] However, after the Russo-Japanese War (1904–05), Gojong was pressured instead to accept pro-Japanese advisors to the royal court by the Meiji Emperor of Japan. His domestic and foreign policies, however, proved to be successful in the face of Japanese pressure. Gojong played the rival Russian, Japanese and Chinese sides off of each other to prevent each of them from totally controlling Korea.

Gojong proclaimed the Korean Empire in 1897 to justify its independence from tributary status of China. Following the Protectorate Treaty of 1905 between Korea and Japan, which stripped Korea of its rights as an independent nation, he sent representatives to the Hague Peace Convention of 1907 in order to try and re-assert his sovereignty over Korea. Although the Korean representatives were blocked by the Japanese delegates, they did not give up, and later held interviews with newspapers. One representative warned forebodingly of Japanese ambitions in Asia:"The United States does not realize what Japan's policy in the Far East is and what it portends for the American people. The Japanese adopted a policy that in the end will give her complete control over commerce and industry in the Far East. Japan is bitter against the United States and against Great Britain. If the United States does not watch Japan closely she will force the Americans and the English out of the Far East." As a result, Gojong was forced to abdicate in favour of Gojong's son, Sunjong.

After abdicating, Emperor Gojong was put in the Deoksugung confinement by the Japanese. He died on January 21, 1919 in Deoksugung. There is much speculation that he was killed by poison that was administered by Japanese officials.

Children

* Yi Seon ("Wanhwa-gun" or "Wan-chinwang"), first son with his concubine, Lady Yi Yeongbodang (귀인 이씨), (16 April 1868–12 January 1880)

* Yi Cheok ("Hwangtaeja"), fourth son with his first wife, Empress Myeongseong. He was married to Lady Min, a daughter of Min Tae-ho – a leader of the Yeoheung-Min clan – known posthumously as Empress Sunmyeong; however, she died before her husband's enthronement. Cheok married again Lady Yun, a daughter of Yun Taek-yeong, who became known as the Empress Sunjeong.

* Yi Gang ("Uihwa-gun" or "Ui-chinwang"), fifth son with his concubine, Lady Jang (귀인 장씨), (30 March 1877–August 1955); He married Kim Su-deok, who became Princess Deogin; a daughter of Baron Kim Sa-jun.

* Yi Eun ("Yeong-chinwang"), seventh son with his second wife, Princess Consort Eom Sunheon (귀비 엄씨), (20 October 1897–1 May 1970), (see Crown Prince Eun); He married Princess Masako Nashimotonomiya of Japan, a daughter of Prince Morimasa Nashimotonomiya of Japan.

* Yi Yuk, eighth son with his concubine, Lady Gwanghwa-dang (1906–1908)

* Yi U, ninth son with his concubine, Lady Jeong Bohyeon-dang (귀인 정씨); unfortunately, he died in infancy.

* Lady Deokhye ("Deokhye Ongju"), fourth daughter with his concubine, Lady Yang Bongnyeong-dang (귀인 양씨), (25 May 1912–11 April 1989); she married Count Takeyuki Sō, a Japanese nobleman of Tsushima.

Titles

* The Lord Yi Myeong-bok (Jaehwang) (李命福 이명복 "Yi Myeong-bok"), the second son of Prince Heungseon, a great-great-grandson of Yeongjo (1852–1863)
* "His Majesty" King Gojong of Korea (1863–1897)
* "His Imperial Majesty" Emperor Gwangmu of Korea (大韓帝國光武大皇帝陛下 대한제국광무대황제폐하 "Daehan Jeguk Gwangmu Daehwangje Pyeha") (1897–1907)
* "His Imperial Majesty" The Emperor Emeritus of Korea (大韓帝國太皇帝陛下 대한제국태황제폐하 "Daehan Jeguk Taehwangje Pyeha") (1907–1910), after his abdication by force of the Japanese government.
** "His Majesty" The King Emeritus Yi of Korea (德壽宮李太王殿下 덕수궁이태왕전하 "Deoksugung Yi Taewang Jeonha") (1910–1919), a demoted title given by the Japanese government on the annexation of Korea, ignored in Korea

His full posthumous name

* His Imperial Majesty Emperor Gojong Tongcheon Yung-un Jogeuk Donyun Jeongseong Gwang-ui Myeonggong Daedeok Yojun Sunhwi Umo Tanggyeong Eungmyeong Ripgi Jihwa Sinryeol Oehun Hong-eop Gyegi Seonryeok Geonhaeng Gonjeong Yeong-ui Honghyu Sugang Munheon Mujang Inik Jeonghyo of Korea
* 대한제국고종통천융운조극돈윤정성광의명공대덕요준순휘우모탕경응명립기지화신렬외훈홍업계기선력건행곤정영의홍휴수강문헌무장인익정효황제폐하
* 大韓帝國高宗統天隆運肇極敦倫正聖光義明功大德堯峻舜徽禹謨湯敬應命立紀至化神烈巍勳洪業啓基宣曆乾行坤定英毅弘休壽康文憲武章仁翼貞孝皇帝陛下

ee also

*List of Korea-related topics
*History of Korea
*Rulers of Korea
*Empress Myeongseong
*Heungseon Daewongun
*Hague Secret Emissary Affair

References