Japan's seizure of Gyeongbokgung in 1894 installed a pro-Japanese Korean government, triggering the First Sino-Japanese War.
Key Facts
- Date
- 23 July 1894
- Location
- Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul
- Japanese Commander
- Ōshima Yoshimasa
- Japanese Diplomatic Lead
- Ōtori Keisuke, Minister Plenipotentiary
- Installed Government Head
- Kim Hong-jip (Enlightenment Party)
- Restored Regent
- Heungseon Daewongun, father of King Gojong
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the ceasefire of the Donghak Peasant Revolution, both Chinese and Japanese forces were present in Korea. Japan sought to expand its influence on the peninsula by displacing the existing Korean government and replacing it with a pro-Japanese administration aligned with the Enlightenment Party, exploiting the political instability of the period.
On 23 July 1894, Imperial Japanese forces under Minister Plenipotentiary Ōtori Keisuke and commander Ōshima Yoshimasa stormed and occupied Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul. They deposed the ruling administration, reinstated Heungseon Daewongun as regent, and installed a pro-Japanese cabinet led by Kim Hong-jip and the Enlightenment Party.
The occupation effectively placed Korea under Japanese political control and established a client government. This act, alongside simultaneous naval clashes, marked the start of the First Sino-Japanese War, which ended with China ceding influence over Korea to Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Ōtori Keisuke, Ōshima Yoshimasa.
Side B
1 belligerent
King Gojong.