The Korean Empire and the End of the Joseon Dynasty

Walk into Deoksugung and one thing does not fit. In the middle of a Joseon palace stands a neoclassical stone building in the Western manner, with a fountain in front of it. No other palace in Seoul looks like this.

Why that building is there is the whole story of this period. The Korean Empire was a modern Korean state that existed from 12 October 1897 to 29 August 1910. Under thirteen years — the last chapter of Joseon, and at the same time a country with a different name.

At a glance

12 Oct 1897 – 29 Aug 1910
A modern Korean state that lasted just under thirteen years.
Not a king — an emperor
In 1897 Gojong took the title of emperor to assert independence from Qing, and renamed the state Daehan Jeguk.
1905: the loss of foreign relations
The Eulsa treaty was imposed by Japan to strip Korea of its diplomatic rights.
1907: The Hague
Gojong sent envoys to the Second Hague Peace Conference to expose the treaty's illegality and appeal for Korea's sovereignty.

From king to emperor — what the renaming declared

The 1897 change of title was not a matter of form.

Gojong took the title of emperor and renamed the state Daehan Jeguk in order to assert that Korea was an independent country, separate from Qing China. In the old East Asian order the title "emperor" belonged to the Chinese sovereign alone, and a Joseon monarch was a king. Moving from king to emperor was a declaration of no longer standing beneath anyone.

The "Han" in the new name was not invented either. It derives from the names of Mahan, Byeonhan and Jinhan — the Samhan — and in Goryeo times was used widely for the Three Kingdoms as a whole. Today's Daehanminguk, the Republic of Korea, continues from it.

One practical note for visitors: a palace sign carrying a date after 1897 is not describing a different country. It is the same royal house and the same state under a new name.

There were reforms — and there was not enough time

Summing this period up as "thirteen years of losing a country" misses what was actually attempted.

The Gwangmu Reforms were modern reforms led from 1896 by Gojong and the enlightened governing class of the Korean Empire's government. The Daehanguk Gukje, a founding constitutional document, was enacted and strengthened imperial authority.

Deoksugung's stone hall is the physical residue of that effort. Putting Western architecture inside a palace was not a matter of taste; it was part of an attempt to assume the outward form of a modern state. Standing in front of it now, you can see both the ambition of that attempt and how little time it was given.

1905 and 1907 — sovereignty disappearing in stages

The end did not arrive at once. It came in steps.

In 1905 Japan imposed the Eulsa treaty in order to strip Korea of its diplomatic rights. Losing the conduct of foreign relations meant losing the ability to deal with other states at all, which for a country is decisive damage.

In 1907 Gojong sent envoys to the Second Hague Peace Conference in the Netherlands, to expose the illegality of the Eulsa treaty and appeal to the great powers for the restoration of Korea's sovereignty.

Then, in 1910, Japanese imperialism imposed the treaty that made the Korean Empire a full colony. The last day the Korean Empire existed was 29 August 1910.

What came next continues in Korea under Japanese colonial rule.

Where to see this period

The Korean Empire is the densest surviving modern layer in Seoul.

Deoksugung is the centre of it. It was a Joseon palace and the Korean Empire's palace at the same time, which is why traditional timber halls and a Western stone building stand inside one wall. None of the other four palaces offers that combination.

The Medieval and Early Modern History Gallery of the National Museum of Korea has a Korean Empire room, where the objects these thirteen years left behind are on display.

Was the Korean Empire a different country from Joseon? As a dynasty it is the same royal house — the state's name and the monarch's title both changed — and it is normally treated as Joseon's final phase. As a state, though, the Korean Empire is recorded as its own unit, beginning 12 October 1897 and ending 29 August 1910.

Where to go for the Korean Empire

Frequently asked questions

What dates does the Korean Empire cover?

It was a modern Korean state that existed from 12 October 1897 to 29 August 1910.

Why did Gojong become an emperor?

To assert that Korea was an independent country, separate from Qing China. The state was renamed Daehan Jeguk at the same time.

Why is there a Western-style building at Deoksugung?

Because Deoksugung was the palace of the Korean Empire. It dates from the period of the Gwangmu Reforms, led from 1896 by Gojong and the enlightened governing class of his government.

Does the 'Daehan' in 'Republic of Korea' come from here?

The 'Han' derives from the names of Mahan, Byeonhan and Jinhan — the Samhan — and was used in Goryeo times for the Three Kingdoms as a whole. It passed into Daehan Jeguk in 1897 and continues in today's Daehanminguk.

What did the Eulsa treaty take away?

It was imposed by Japan in 1905 to strip Korea of its diplomatic rights. In 1907 Gojong sent envoys to the Hague Peace Conference to make the treaty's illegality known.