Treaty of Ganghwa

Treaty of Ganghwa

Infobox Korean name


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hangul=강화도조약
hanja=江華島條約
rr=Ganghwado Joyak
mr=Kanghwado Choyak

The Treaty of Ganghwa, also known in Japan as Korea-Japanese Treaty of Amity (Korean language 강화도조약, Japanese language: nihongo|日朝修好条規|Nicchō-shūkōjōki|, signed on February 27th, 1876, was written by Kuroda Kiyotaka, Governor of Hokkaidō, and designed to open up Korea to Japanese trade. Japan employed gunboat diplomacy to press Joseon to sign this unequal treaty. The pact opened up Korea, as Commodore Matthew Perry's fleet of Black Ships had opened up Japan in 1853. [ [http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200707220222.html A reckless adventure in Taiwan amid Meiji Restoration turmoil] , "THE ASAHI SHIMBUN", Retrieved on 2007-7-22.] It ended Joseon's status as a protectorate of Qing China, at least in the eyes of Joseon and Japan, if not China, and opened three ports to Japanese trade. The Treaty also granted Japanese many of the same rights in Korea that Westerners enjoyed in Japan, such as extraterritoriality (Japanese in Korea would be subject to Japanese, not Korean, law).

Background

After the Industrial Revolution in 18th century, European nations began to colonize many other weaker nations in Africa and Asia, the political ideology called Imperialism. Almost all of Africa was colonized by European Powers; most of Central, South and Southeast Asia including India was taken over by various European nations. East Asia also was invaded by foreign powers, beginning with the Opium Wars in China by Britain and other foreign powers; China's empire was reduced to a half-colonized territory. Meanwhile, the American Asiatic Squadron under the leadership of Matthew C. Perry forced Japan to open its ports to the western world in 1854.

Humiliated by unequal treaties and the prospect of losing its independence and integrity to imperialist powers, Japan embarked on a rapid transformation, successfully turning itself from a comparatively medieval society into a modern industrialized state.

Ganghwa incident

In Korea, the strong dictatorship of Daewongun was overthrown by Empress Myeongseong, who instituted a policy of closing doors to European powers. France and United States had already made several unsuccessful attempts to begin commerce with the Joseon Dynasty, all of them happening during Daewon-gun's era. However, after he was removed from power, many new officials who supported the idea of opening commerce with foreigners took power. While there was political instability, Japan developed a plan to open and exert influence on Korea before a European power could. In 1875, their plan was put into action: the "Unyo", a small Japanese warship under the command of Inoue Yoshika, was dispatched to survey coastal waters without Korean permission.

On September 20 the ship reached Ganghwa Island, which had been a site of violent confrontations between Korean forces and foreign forces in the previous decade. In 1866, the island was briefly occupied by the French, and also in 1871 subject to American intervention. The memories of those confrontations were very fresh, and there was little question that the Korean garrison would shoot at any approaching foreign ship. Nonetheless, Commander Inoue ordered a small boat launched – allegedly in search of drinkable water. The Korean forts opened fire. The Unyo brought its superior firepower to bear and silenced the Korean guns. Then it attacked another Korean port and withdrew back to Japan.

Kuroda mission

The following year saw a Japanese fleet led by Special Envoy Kuroda Kiyotaka coming over to Korea, demanding an apology from the Joseon government and a commercial treaty between the two nations. The Korean government decided to accept the demand, in hope of importing some technologies to defend the country from any future invasions.

The treaty became the first unequal treaty signed by Korea; it gave extraterritorial rights to Japanese citizens in Korea, the Korean government was to open 3 ports to Japanese and foreign trade, specifically Busan, Incheon and Wonsan and was to establish its independence in foreign relations from China" (although it still paid tribute to China)".

Interpretations of the treaty varied. While the treaty was certainly a stark shift in the form of Japanese-Korean relations (as the treaty was based on Western international law rather than the traditional trade through the Japanese feudal domain Tsushima), it was seen by the Koreans as a rapprochement with Japan following the breaking of official relations after the Meiji restoration. The Japanese used the treaty to further pursue their efforts to reorder the hierarchical nature of traditional East Asian international affairs. The treaty established Japan and Korea as nations of equal standing, which when considered alongside Japan's treaty establishing equality with China, allowed for the claim that Korea was an independent country. Both Korea and China acknowledged generally that Korea was autonomous in domestic and foreign affairs under the tributary system; Korea often invoked Chinese suzerainty to stonewall efforts at international dialog. While some could argue that it eliminated the tributary relationships between China and Korea, Korea continued to send tributary missions until 1895, with the explicit recognition of Korean independence in the Treaty of Shimonoseki following the Sino-Japanese war.

ee also

*List of Korea-related topics
*History of Korea
*Joseon Dynasty
*Imperialism
*Ganghwa Island affair
*Korean-Japanese disputes

Notes

References

*McDougall, Walter (1993). "Let the Sea Make a Noise: Four Hundred Years of Cataclysm, Conquest, War and Folly in the North Pacific." New York: Avon Books.


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