The Precarious Throne of Emperor Gojong

In the winter of 1904, Emperor Gojong of Korea found himself at the center of an imperial storm. As Russian and Japanese forces maneuvered for dominance in Northeast Asia, the Korean monarch attempted a daring diplomatic gambit—declaring neutrality in the looming conflict. This bold move, executed through secret communications with Russian diplomats while feigning cooperation with Japanese officials, revealed the desperate struggle of a sovereign caught between competing empires. The episode illuminates the complex power dynamics that would soon erupt into the Russo-Japanese War, with Korea’s fate hanging in the balance.

The Chessboard of Empire: Russo-Japanese Rivalry

The roots of this crisis stretched back decades. Following the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), Japan had established growing influence in Korea, only to face Russian countermoves after the Triple Intervention forced Japan to relinquish the Liaodong Peninsula. By 1903, tensions reached a boiling point as both powers negotiated over their respective spheres of influence—Russia in Manchuria, Japan in Korea.

Key to understanding Gojong’s actions was the controversial Japanese proposal presented earlier that winter: a draft agreement establishing Korea as a Japanese protectorate, requiring Seoul to sever ties with Russia if Tokyo demanded. For the Korean emperor, this represented existential threat to his nation’s sovereignty.

The Secret Diplomatic Maneuvers

On January 11, 1904, Emperor Gojong received critical intelligence from his special envoy Hyun Sang-geon, who had returned from Europe aboard the Russian cruiser Varyag. The envoy delivered a personal letter from Tsar Nicholas II and encouraging messages from Russian Foreign Minister Vladimir Lamsdorf and Viceroy Yevgeni Alekseyev. These communications reportedly strengthened Gojong’s resolve to resist Japanese pressure.

Simultaneously, Japanese Minister Hayashi Gonsuke worked tirelessly to undermine Korean resistance. Through pro-Japanese ministers like Lee Ji-yong and Min Yeong-cheol, Hayashi distributed 10,000 yen in bribes to “win over the emperor’s close attendants.” Their efforts succeeded in turning General Lee Geun-taek, previously an anti-Japanese hardliner, who now promoted a secret Japano-Korean agreement.

The Neutrality Declaration: A Sovereign’s Gambit

While appearing to cooperate with pro-Japanese ministers, Gojong secretly coordinated with Russian envoy Alexander Pavlov to announce Korea’s neutrality. On January 18, arrangements were made to transmit the declaration via the French consulate in Chefoo (Yantai) to major world powers. The document, ostensibly signed by Foreign Minister Lee Ji-yong (who remained unaware of its existence), stated Korea’s intention to maintain “strict neutrality” in the Russo-Japanese conflict.

Pavlov saw this as a masterstroke, writing that it would morally undermine Japan’s position: “Japan’s violent acts on the Korean Peninsula will lose all legitimacy… becoming a direct violation of international law.” The Russian diplomat orchestrated the declaration’s delivery through an elaborate scheme involving the German cruiser Hansa, ensuring the message reached Russian authorities in Port Arthur.

The Illusion of Control: Parallel Negotiations

Even as Gojong’s neutrality proclamation circulated, Japanese officials believed they had secured Korean compliance. On January 19, pro-Japanese ministers obtained what appeared to be imperial authorization for a secret pact guaranteeing:
1. Mutual consultation and support in emergencies
2. Japanese protection of Korea’s imperial household and territorial integrity
3. A prohibition on agreements conflicting with these terms

The emperor’s dual strategy—publicly feigning cooperation while secretly asserting independence—created extraordinary tensions. Russian and Japanese officials operated under completely different assumptions about Korea’s position, with neither fully grasping Gojong’s intricate balancing act.

The Great Power Calculus

The Korean crisis unfolded against intense diplomatic maneuvering in European capitals. Russian Foreign Minister Lamsdorf sought Franco-British mediation, while Japanese diplomats worked to prevent international intervention. French Foreign Minister Théophile Delcassé privately told Japan’s ambassador the issues at stake “were not worth a great war,” but Tokyo had already committed to its course.

Meanwhile, within Russian leadership, fundamental disagreements emerged. Viceroy Alekseyev advocated linking the Korean question to broader strategic considerations, while War Minister Alexei Kuropatkin pushed for compromise—suggesting limiting military restrictions to northern Korea above the 39th parallel. Tsar Nicholas II, torn between factions, authorized contradictory policies, at one point secretly permitting Japanese occupation of southern Korea while publicly supporting Korea’s neutrality.

The Unraveling and Legacy

Gojong’s bold neutrality declaration ultimately failed to prevent conflict. Within weeks, Japanese forces would land at Incheon, and the Russo-Japanese War would commence. The episode revealed several critical realities:
– The limits of Korean agency in the face of imperial competition
– The fractured decision-making within Russian leadership
– Japan’s determination to establish dominance in Korea, regardless of diplomatic niceties

Historically, Gojong’s 1904 neutrality gambit represents one of the last significant attempts by a Korean monarch to assert independence through diplomatic means. The intricate maneuvers—from secret Russian communications to forged documents and double dealings—illustrate the extraordinary pressures faced by smaller nations during the age of empire. While unsuccessful in preventing Japanese dominance, these events underscore Korea’s active (if constrained) role in shaping its destiny during this pivotal moment in Northeast Asian history.

The episode also foreshadowed Japan’s eventual annexation of Korea in 1910, demonstrating how great power rivalries could create temporary opportunities for smaller states, only to ultimately overwhelm them. Gojong’s desperate balancing act between Russian and Japanese pressures remains a poignant case study in the limits of sovereignty during the imperial era.