Korean Empire

The Korean state proclaimed by King Gojong in 1897 and annexed by Japan in 1910. It pursued reforms intended to strengthen sovereignty and modernize its institutions.

Joseon: The Korean dynasty that ruled from 1392 until the establishment of the Korean Empire in 1897. Its final decades supplied the institutions and political crises from which the empire emerged.
Gwangmu Reform: A state-led modernization program pursued by the Korean Empire from 1897 into the early twentieth century. It was the empire’s central effort to strengthen administration, infrastructure, and military capacity.
Empress Sunjeong: The wife of Emperor Sunjong and the last empress consort of Korea. Her role at court continued into the empire’s final years and its annexation.
Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905: A treaty that made Korea a Japanese protectorate and transferred control of its foreign relations to Japan. It stripped the empire of diplomatic authority while leaving its formal status intact.
Gojong of Korea: The Korean monarch who ruled as king and later emperor from 1863 to 1907. He proclaimed the empire and pursued reforms under mounting foreign pressure.
Gwangmu era: The Korean Empire’s reign-period designation, used from 1897 until 1907. Its adoption marked the new imperial state’s break with Joseon-era chronology.
Yi Yong-ik: A Korean official and reformer who served the Korean Empire in financial and diplomatic roles. He helped direct state finances and represented the empire abroad.
Hague Secret Emissary Affair: Gojong’s unsuccessful 1907 effort to send Korean envoys to the Second Hague Conference to protest Japanese control. The failed appeal prompted Japan to force Gojong’s abdication.
Queen Min: The consort of King Gojong, known posthumously as Empress Myeongseong, who opposed Japanese influence at court. Her assassination in 1895 intensified the crisis preceding the empire’s proclamation.
Korean Empire Army: The military force maintained by the Korean Empire before its disbandment in 1907. Building an army was part of the effort to defend imperial sovereignty.

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