Ganghwa Island incident
Encyclopedia
The Ganghwa Island incident or the Japanese Battle of Ganghwa ( Unyo-ho sageon meaning "Un'yō incident"; Kōkatō jiken), was an armed encounter between the Joseon Dynasty
and Japan which occurred in the vicinity of Ganghwa Island
on September 20, 1875.
and the French
, as well as the Chinese and the Japanese.
The Meiji Restoration
of 1868 ended the 265-year-old feudalistic Tokugawa shogunate
in Japan. The new government of Japan sent a messenger holding a letter with the sovereign's message which informed of the founding of a new administration of Japan to the government of the Korean Joseon Dynasty
on December 19, 1868.
However, the Joseon Dynasty refused to receive the letter because it contained the Chinese characters 皇 ("royal, imperial") and 勅 ("imperial decree"). According to the political system of the day, only the Chinese emperor was allowed to use these characters, as they signified the imperial authority of China. Hence, their use by a Japanese sovereign was considered unacceptable to Joseon Korea, as it implied he was an equal of the emperor of the Qing Dynasty
.
The Qing Dynasty
suggested Joseon to receive the sovereign letter from Japan, because Qing knew the power of Japan at that moment. Despite government-level negotiations held in 1875 at Busan
, no substantial progress was made. Instead, tension grew as Joseon continued to refuse to recognize Japan's claims of equality with Qing.
, 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 during the French expedition against Korea
, and also in 1871 subject to an American expedition
.
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 sent a landing force ashore to fight the Koreans on land. The Japanese ended their attack and withdrew back to Japan.
blockaded the immediate area and requested an official apology from the Joseon government, which was concluded with the dispatch of the Kuroda
mission, and the signing of the Treaty of Ganghwa
on February 27, 1876, which opened the Korean Peninsula to Japanese and foreign trade.
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
and Japan which occurred in the vicinity of Ganghwa Island
Ganghwa Island
Ganghwa Island is an island in the estuary of the Han River, on the west coast of South Korea. Ganghwa Island is separated from Gimpo, on the mainland, by a narrow channel, which is spanned by two bridges. The main channel of the Han River separates the island from Gaeseong in North Korea.About...
on September 20, 1875.
Background
In the second half of the 19th century, Korea peninsula was the scene for a power struggle between several imperial powers including the RussiansRussian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
and the French
French colonial empire
The French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...
, as well as the Chinese and the Japanese.
The Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
of 1868 ended the 265-year-old feudalistic Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
in Japan. The new government of Japan sent a messenger holding a letter with the sovereign's message which informed of the founding of a new administration of Japan to the government of the Korean Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
on December 19, 1868.
However, the Joseon Dynasty refused to receive the letter because it contained the Chinese characters 皇 ("royal, imperial") and 勅 ("imperial decree"). According to the political system of the day, only the Chinese emperor was allowed to use these characters, as they signified the imperial authority of China. Hence, their use by a Japanese sovereign was considered unacceptable to Joseon Korea, as it implied he was an equal of the emperor of the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
.
The Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
suggested Joseon to receive the sovereign letter from Japan, because Qing knew the power of Japan at that moment. Despite government-level negotiations held in 1875 at Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
, no substantial progress was made. Instead, tension grew as Joseon continued to refuse to recognize Japan's claims of equality with Qing.
Battle of Ganghwa
In 1875, the UnyoJapanese gunboat Unyo
was an iron-ribbed, wooden-hulled sail-and-steam gunboat with of the early Meiji period, serving with the fledgling Imperial Japanese Navy. She was a two-masted brig with an auxiliary coal-fired steam engine driving a single screw.-Background:...
, a small Japanese warship under the command of Inoue Yoshika
Inoue Yoshika
- Notes :...
, was dispatched to survey coastal waters without Korean permission.
On September 20 the ship reached Ganghwa Island
Ganghwa Island
Ganghwa Island is an island in the estuary of the Han River, on the west coast of South Korea. Ganghwa Island is separated from Gimpo, on the mainland, by a narrow channel, which is spanned by two bridges. The main channel of the Han River separates the island from Gaeseong in North Korea.About...
, 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 during the French expedition against Korea
French Campaign against Korea, 1866
The French campaign against Korea of 1866 is also known as Byeong-in yangyo . It refers to the French invasion of Ganghwa Island in Korea in retaliation for the earlier execution by Korea's Joseon Dynasty of French Catholic priests proselytizing in that country...
, and also in 1871 subject to an American expedition
Sinmiyangyo
The United States expedition to Korea, the Shinmiyangyo, or simply the Korean Expedition, in 1871, was the first American military action in Korea. It took place predominantly on and around the Korean island of Ganghwa...
.
Aftermath
Casualties are unknown, after the incident, the Imperial Japanese NavyImperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
blockaded the immediate area and requested an official apology from the Joseon government, which was concluded with the dispatch of the Kuroda
Kuroda Kiyotaka
, also known as , was a Japanese politician of the Meiji era. He was the second Prime Minister of Japan from 30 April 1888 to 25 October 1889.-As a Satsuma samurai:...
mission, and the signing of the Treaty of Ganghwa
Treaty of Ganghwa
The Japan-Korea Treaty of Amity, also known as the Treaty of Ganghwa or Treaty of Kanghwa, was made between representatives of the Empire of Japan and the Kingdom of Joseon in 1876...
on February 27, 1876, which opened the Korean Peninsula to Japanese and foreign trade.