Korean History › Late Joseon › Korean Empire
King and Emperor Gojong
r. 1864–1907; emperor from 1897· Person· Rulers & states
Well documentedSolid records, physical evidence or scientific consensus.
Joseon's 26th king and first emperor of the Korean Empire, who reigned through Korea's opening, great-power rivalry and loss of sovereignty.
See it on the Korean History map →What happened
Gojong (고종) took the throne at 11 under his father's regency and ruled himself from 1873. He opened Korea through the 1876 Ganghwa treaty and later treaties with the US and Europe, while balancing China, Japan and Russia. After Japanese agents killed his queen in 1895, he sheltered in the Russian legation for a year, then proclaimed the Korean Empire in 1897. Japan forced him to abdicate in 1907 after he sent secret envoys to the Hague peace conference. He died in 1919.
Why it matters
His 43-year reign spanned Korea's passage from isolation to protectorate; how Koreans judge him shapes how they explain the loss of independence.
Legacy and how we know
The Annals of Gojong (compiled under Japanese supervision in the 1930s, so read with care), diplomatic archives in Japan, China, Russia and the US, and his letters seeking foreign help.
Still debated
Historians split on whether he was an indecisive ruler or a reformer boxed in by empires; rumors that he was poisoned in 1919 remain unproven.
Connections (5)
▸Heungseon Daewongun was regent for his son King and Emperor GojongWell documented
The connection
When King Cheoljong died without a son in 1863, Dowager Queen Sinjeong chose the Daewongun's young son as heir, and the father governed in the boy's name. In 1873, as Gojong came of age and Queen Min's relatives gained influence, a memorial by scholar Choe Ik-hyeon gave the king cover to rule directly. Father and son remained rivals.
When and how
Seoul, January 1864 (still the 12th lunar month of 1863) to late 1873.
How we know
The Annals and court memorials, including Choe Ik-hyeon's 1873 memorial attacking the regent's policies.
Debates and open questions
The formal regency at first belonged to Dowager Queen Sinjeong; how the Daewongun's real but unofficial power worked day to day is debated.
▸King and Emperor Gojong proclaimed Korean EmpireWell documented
The connection
After a year in the Russian legation, Gojong moved to Gyeongungung (now Deoksugung) in February 1897. On October 12 he performed rites at the new Hwangudan altar, took the title of emperor and renamed the country Daehan. The new title was meant to show Korea was no one's vassal.
When and how
Seoul, October 12, 1897, after officials had petitioned him repeatedly to take the imperial title.
How we know
The proclamation and coronation records; the surviving octagonal shrine of the Hwangudan complex near Seoul City Hall.
Debates and open questions
Whether becoming emperor was a meaningful step or mostly symbolic, given Korea's weakness, is debated.
▸King and Emperor Gojong approved Treaty of Ganghwa (Japan–Korea Treaty of 1876)Well documented
The connection
Ruling in his own right, Gojong leaned toward limited opening, unlike his father. When Japanese warships arrived in 1876, officials such as Bak Gyu-su argued for a treaty, and China's Li Hongzhang also advised settling. Gojong's government agreed.
When and how
Seoul and Ganghwa, January–February 1876; Korean negotiator Sin Heon and Japan's Kuroda Kiyotaka.
How we know
Court debates recorded in the Annals and the Royal Secretariat diaries, and the signed treaty.
Debates and open questions
Whether Gojong chose opening or yielded under pressure, and how well his officials understood the treaty's terms, is debated.
▸Hague Secret Emissary Affair led to the forced abdication of King and Emperor GojongWell documented
The connection
Ito Hirobumi called the mission a breach of the protectorate treaty. Pressed by Japan and by pro-Japanese ministers led by Yi Wan-yong, Gojong gave up power to his son Sunjong. Days later a new treaty gave Japan control of internal government, and the Korean army was disbanded on August 1, 1907.
When and how
Seoul, July 19–20, 1907, followed by the Japan–Korea Treaty of July 24, 1907; protests and riots broke out in the capital.
How we know
Residency-General records, Ito's correspondence, the court edicts of July 1907, and the July 1907 treaty text.
Debates and open questions
Gojong's edict named Sunjong only to act for him; whether this was a true abdication or a regency Japan turned into one is debated.
▸March 1st Movement was sparked partly by the death of King and Emperor GojongWell documented
The connection
Former emperor Gojong died suddenly on January 21, 1919, and rumors spread that Japanese agents had poisoned him. His funeral, set for March 3, drew huge crowds to Seoul. Organizers timed their declaration for March 1 to use that gathering without disrupting the funeral itself.
When and how
Deoksugung Palace, Seoul, January 21, 1919; funeral March 3, 1919, with mourners from across Korea in the capital.
How we know
Court and Government-General records of his death and funeral, organizers' trial testimony about the timing, and rumors recorded in diaries and police reports.
Debates and open questions
Whether Gojong was poisoned has never been proven; official records cite a stroke, and the claim rests on rumor and circumstantial accounts.