Figure timeline
Gojong, personal name Yi Jaehwang, later changed to Yi Hui, also known as the Gwangmu Emperor, was the penultimate Korean monarch. He ruled Korea for 43 years, from 1864 until his forced abdication in 1907, initially as the 26th king of Joseon, and then as the first emperor of the Korean Empire. His wife, Queen Min, played an active role in politics until her assassination carried out by the Japan…
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
politics · Monarch of Korea from 1864 to 1907 · monarch · king · also Gojong of the Korean Empire, Gojong of Korea, Lee Hee, Empire
Born 25 July 1852 · Died 21 January 1919 · Q257425
36 published statements · 0 followers
See & hear
12 photos
Media from Wikimedia Commons, hotlinked at the source under its own licence — see each file for author and terms.
Live now
Pulling headlines from trusted outlets — this usually takes a few seconds
Checking the wires…
Feed scan
These are live links, not archived citations — they only join the timeline once a collect run verifies and archives them.
Live pulse
Most recent outstanding titles, awards, and quotes
Either go to Japan yourself and apologize to the Emperor, or apologize to General Hasegawa in front of the Daehan Gate.
67%WikipediaSource
“If this envoy incident is based on a decree, it is believed to be a good opportunity to take decisive action regarding Korea. In other words, I believe it will be a good opportunity for us to have fiscal power, military power, or judicial power.”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Either go to Japan yourself and apologize to the Emperor, or apologize to General Hasegawa in front of the Daehan Gate.”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Wan-yong and seven others entered. The Emperor refused (to abdicate). Wan-yong and Byeong-jun used disrespectful language countless times. Lee Byeong-mu threatened with a drawn sword (李秉武拔劒威嚇).”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Yi Wan-yong drew his sword and shouted in a rough voice, 'Do you not understand what kind of world we are in right now?' People around tried to stab Yi Wan-yong with a sword, but the Emperor eventually waved him off and said, 'In that case, it would be better to step down first.'”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Yi Byeong-mu ordered General Jung Wi-jae, the commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Regiment of the Capital Guards, to bring in 70 palace guards stationed outside the palace. When Jung Wi-jae refused, Hanmyeong, the commander of the palace guards, drew his sword and shouted at the military dictatorship to resist. The palace guards, wearing civilian clothes and carrying bayonets, entered the palace.”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Public attention spiked: 3,218 Wikipedia readers in one day, 5.3× the usual 605, with 0 article edits.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Died 1919-01-21.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Made another attempt, this time with the goal of going to Beijing with Lee Hoe-yeong, but again failed
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gojong again tried to flee from his confinement with the help of Sangsul, but failed
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
And the Korean imperial family was formally absorbed into the Japanese Imperial house
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Initially as the 26th king of Joseon, and then as the first emperor of the Korean Empire
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Won: German Empire with Korean Colonization Decoration – 1 August 1912 (March 1904).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some Korean students in Japan tried to make Gojong abdicate, and make Prince Imperial Ui the emperor
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Won: China with Korean Colonization Decoration – 1 August 1912 (December 1903).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Won: Russia with Korean Colonization Decoration – 1 August 1912 (December 1903).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Won: Denmark with Korean Colonization Decoration – 1 August 1912 (August 1903).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Awarded Order of St. Andrew (1902).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Won: Belgium with Korean Colonization Decoration – 1 August 1912 (March 1901).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
As the acting diplomatic minister to the United Kingdom
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
About 44 percent of the Empire's total revenue was used for the military
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Bought weapons from various countries and sent many cadets to Imperial Japanese Army Academy
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Emperor Gwangmu refused to attend the funeral of his father because of their poor relationship
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shortly after returning from his internal exile in the Russian legation in Seoul, Gojong proclaimed the establishment of the independent Korean Empire, and became its first emperor
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Career landmark: coronation.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Career landmark: Emperor of Korea (1897–1907).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Won: France with Foreign honors (July 1895).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Won: Italy with Foreign honors (July 1895).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Japan won the First Sino-Japanese War, expanding its influence over the Korean government
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Queen Min, posthumously elevated to Empress Myeongseong, was assassinated by Japanese agents
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Was abolishing the slave (nobi) system, which had existed as far back as the Gojoseon period
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Donghak Peasant Revolution took hold as an anti-government, anti-yangban, and anti-foreign campaign
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Japan forcefully opened up Korea and began a decades-long process of moving the peninsula into its own sphere of influence
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gojong announced the assumption of his direct royal rule
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
When the queen proclaimed the abolishment of the regency, Gojong's rule started
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Career landmark: king of Joseon Dynasty (1863–1897).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Born 1852-07-25.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Yi Wan-yong drew his sword and shouted in a rough voice, 'Do you not understand what kind of world we are in right now?' People around tried to stab Yi Wan-yong with a sword, but the Emperor eventually waved him off and said, 'In that case, it would be better to step down first.'
Yi Byeong-mu ordered General Jung Wi-jae, the commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Regiment of the Capital Guards, to bring in 70 palace guards stationed outside the palace. When Jung Wi-jae refused, Hanmyeong, the commander of the palace guards, drew his sword and shouted at the military dictatorship to resist. The palace guards, wearing civilian clothes and carrying bayonets, entered the palace.
Connections