Gapsinjeongbyeon
Encyclopedia
The Gapsin Coup was a failed 3-day coup d'état
which started on 4 December 1884 in the late Joseon Dynasty
of Korea
. It takes its name from the year designator in the traditional sexagenary cycle
system of dating, "gapsin" here referring to the year 1884.
(Enlightenment Party) group of reformers led by Kim Okgyun
and Pak Yonghyo sought to initiate rapid changes within Korea to open its borders. Thwarted by conservative factions within the Joseon court, particularly the pro-Chinese Sugup'a , they launched a coup d'état attempt with Japanese support on 4 December 1884, seizing the royal palace in Seoul
.
Facing this threat, Queen Min secretly requested Qing military intervention, and after three days the revolt was suppressed by 1500 troops of the Qing garrison based in Seoul led by General Yuan Shikai
. During the ensuing battle, the Japanese legation building was burned down, and forty Japanese were killed. Surviving Gaehwapa activists escaped to the port city of Chemulpo
under escort of the Japanese minister to Korea, Takejo, and there boarded a Japanese ship for exile in Japan.
In an effort to defuse tensions over Korea, both Japan and China agreed to withdraw their troops from Korea in the Convention of Tientsin
of April 1885.
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
which started on 4 December 1884 in the late 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...
of Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. It takes its name from the year designator in the traditional sexagenary cycle
Sexagenary cycle
The Chinese sexagenary cycle , also known as the Stems-and-Branches , is a cycle of sixty terms used for recording days or years. It appears, as a means of recording days, in the first Chinese written texts, the Shang dynasty oracle bones from the late second millennium BC. Its use to record years...
system of dating, "gapsin" here referring to the year 1884.
History and background
The GaehwapaReformist party of the Joseon
Reformist Party of the Joseon was a Korean independence party founded after the Imo Incident...
(Enlightenment Party) group of reformers led by Kim Okgyun
Kim Okgyun
Kim Ok-gyun [김옥균; 金玉均] was a reformist activist during the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He served under the national civil service under King Gojong, and actively participated to advance Western ideas and sciences in Korea...
and Pak Yonghyo sought to initiate rapid changes within Korea to open its borders. Thwarted by conservative factions within the Joseon court, particularly the pro-Chinese Sugup'a , they launched a coup d'état attempt with Japanese support on 4 December 1884, seizing the royal palace in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
.
Facing this threat, Queen Min secretly requested Qing military intervention, and after three days the revolt was suppressed by 1500 troops of the Qing garrison based in Seoul led by General Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai was an important Chinese general and politician famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China , and his short-lived...
. During the ensuing battle, the Japanese legation building was burned down, and forty Japanese were killed. Surviving Gaehwapa activists escaped to the port city of Chemulpo
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
under escort of the Japanese minister to Korea, Takejo, and there boarded a Japanese ship for exile in Japan.
Consequences
The Japanese government demanded an apology and reparations from the Korean government over the incident, which resulted in the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1885 (Treaty of Hanseong), which was signed on 9 January 1885. The treaty restored diplomatic relations, and Korea agreed to pay Japan 110,000 Yen and provide a site and buildings for a new legation.In an effort to defuse tensions over Korea, both Japan and China agreed to withdraw their troops from Korea in the Convention of Tientsin
Convention of Tientsin
The was an agreement signed between the Meiji period Empire of Japan and Qing Dynasty Empire of China in Tientsin, China on 18 April 1885. It was also called the "Li-Itō Convention"....
of April 1885.
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- History of KoreaHistory of KoreaThe Korean Peninsula was inhabited from the Lower Paleolithic about 400,000-500,000 years ago. Archeological evidence indicates that the presence of modern humans in northeast Asia dates to 39,000 years ago. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began...
- Gabo ReformGabo ReformThe Gabo Reform describes a series of sweeping reforms introduced in Joseon Dynasty Korea beginning in 1894 and ending in 1896, during the reign of King Gojong, in response to the Donghak Peasant Revolution. Historians debate the degree of Japanese influence in this program, as well as its effect...
- Kim Ok-gyun
- Reformist party of the JoseonReformist party of the JoseonReformist Party of the Joseon was a Korean independence party founded after the Imo Incident...